


couldn't hide from the thunder (in a sky full of stars)

by carmen_sandiego



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Developing Relationship, F/M, Happy Ending, Tarot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:27:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 33,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23990788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carmen_sandiego/pseuds/carmen_sandiego
Summary: Tessa can sense that he’s someone with a lot of questions in his mind - and some hopes, too. It feels right that she lingered a little longer this evening at her table, if she gets to read the cards for him now.(Or: a Tarot card reader AU)(Originally posted for Spooktober in October 2019, now with a second chapter!).
Relationships: Scott Moir/Tessa Virtue
Comments: 39
Kudos: 92





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I originally wrote Part 1 for Spooktober, but in my mind there was always a Part 2! It just took me eight months to finally get to writing it. ;)
> 
> I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.

  
  


*

Tessa had almost been ready to pack up her cards and close out her table early. When she sees him walk in she changes her mind - not because he came right over to her table, or anything else as obvious as that. Just that there was something about him that made her want to wait. She makes eye contact with him and nods in greeting and he does the same, and then continues his path farther into the bookstore. She notices Kaitlyn noticing him, too, and the two women share a glance. Tessa winks at her, a silent attempt at letting her know she’ll stay at her table a little longer, just in case. Kaitlyn nods back, seeming to understand.

A few minutes later a young woman approaches, who Tessa recognizes as Marjorie, one of their regular customers. Tessa smiles and gestures for her to sit down, and sure enough the girl asks for a reading. Tessa does her usual spread for her, inviting her to think about what’s really pressing in her life at the moment. Unsurprising to Tessa, the cards reveal a contented life overall, with possible threads to tease out in areas of love and career.

One of the last cards she turns over is the Two of Cups, showing an idyllic scene between two partners holding hands. Tessa looks at her. “Is there someone new in your life?” she asks. “Someone...you might have feelings for?”

The young woman blushes. “Not someone new, but...there is someone, yes,” Marjorie admits. “I’ve known him for a long while, but lately there’s been something different between us, at least I think there is,” she says. “I just can’t tell if he feels the same way or not.”

“Well, we still have one more card left, maybe that one will tell us the answer,” Tessa says. She gestures for Marjorie to turn it over herself, and after a brief pause, she does so, revealing the Knight of Cups. 

The girl smiles, looking back at Tessa. “It’s a Knight. That...I think that must be a good sign, yes?”

“It’s definitely not a bad sign,” Tessa says, laughing a little. “The Knight of Cups represents a true admirer, caring and thoughtful.”

“That’s him,” Marjorie says, her expression softening. “He’s always so thoughtful, and he looks out for me, and I don’t know what I would do without him,” she explains. After a moment she scans over all of the cards that are now face up on the table and then looks at Tessa again. “What should I do next?”

Tessa smiles back at her. “Only you can know that,” she tells her, a tried-and-true response. “But I can say that there’s nothing in here that warns against starting a new relationship. There are, however, a lot of encouraging signs,” she concludes.

A few minutes later Marjorie leaves again, encouraged by the reading. Tessa waves goodbye and then gathers up all the cards, re-shuffling them satisfyingly. Then she sits back and takes a sip of her tea that’s gone mostly cold by now. A moment passes as she contemplates the scene just outside the shop window - now that it’s October, the weather has started to turn and the leaves along with it. She likes the new bright oranges and reds in the trees that line the streets, and the way everyone has started bundling up in their sweaters and cozy jackets. It makes her think of home, and the warm welcome awaiting her there. But before she can glance at her watch to check the time she sees she’s not alone.

“Hi,” says the gentleman, having approached her table. He’s holding a paper bag with a few books in it - one of them peeks out over the edge of the bag and she recognizes it as the first in a children’s book series she often recommends to customers. She lets herself admire his taste. 

“Hello,” Tessa greets him back. “Would you like to join me?” She gestures to the now empty chair at the table. 

“Are you giving readings?” 

Tessa nods. “Yes, every Thursday. It’s free of charge if you’ve bought two books or more, so…” she points briefly at his bag, and then again invites him to sit. “If you’re interested, please. I’d be happy to.” The shop is quiet now, just a few customers browsing around and one couple reading with coffees at a table in the opposite corner. It’s as close to a private reading opportunity as she usually gets. 

She can tell he’s curious, if a little hesitant. It’s a familiar reaction. But the man also steps closer. He rests one hand on the back of the empty chair and still clutches the books in the other. Just then Tessa feels warm, suddenly encouraged by his curiosity. She can sense that he’s someone with a lot of questions in his mind - and some hopes, too. It feels right that she lingered a little longer this evening at her table, if she gets to read the cards for him now. 

“Okay,” he nods too, curious. He sets his bag down on the table and folds his coat over the back of the chair, and finally sits down. “How does it work? I’ve never had anyone read tarot cards for me before.”

Tessa picks up the deck and fans it out between them, with the cards face up so he can see them. “The cards are sort of like a regular deck of cards - there are four suits, each with their own court cards. These show us different aspects of our lives - happy events, partnerships, decisions, our family, our work,” she explains, pointing to a few cards one at a time as she does so. “And then there are the Major Arcana, these are the cards that come to mind for a lot of people when it comes to tarot.” She pulls out a few of the more recognizable ones - the Magician, the Fool, and the Wheel of Fortune. Her hand lingers a little on the Hermit. “These cards almost supercede the others, because they represent the bigger things, the foundational people and emotions and journeys we go on. But all of the cards have their own meanings. In the reading you draw a few and lay them out in a sequence, and together it all tells a story,” she says. “A story about what’s happening in your life.”

“Will the cards tell me my future?” he asks, half-smiling as though trying to joke a little. But she can tell he’s genuinely wondering about the answer.

Tessa smiles back. It’s another familiar question, and in her experience is usually a sign that the person asking it is worrying about something in particular. “The cards give us an invitation to reflect on our lives. They offer a response to the questions we have right now. But what happens next is always up to us to decide,” she says gently. It’s not a direct answer to what he asked, but it’s the most accurate one she can give. 

He nods again, seemingly satisfied enough to proceed. “Okay. Yes, I’d like to try it. Try...a reading, however it goes.”

“Alright,” she answers. She slides her cup over to one side and sits up a little straighter, pulling her chair close to the table once again. Next she gathers the cards and shuffles them thoroughly. Satisfied, she places the deck on the table between them and gestures towards him. “Please, cut them.”

He smiles, and rubs his hands together for enthusiastic effect, which makes her smile, too. And then does as she asks, cutting the cards once and then re-stacking him. She nods and then places the deck closer to him before fanning them out, face down, in a curved line across the width of the table. She gestures again to the array of cards. “I’d like you to pick nine cards in total. The first three will represent your past, the next three will tell us about your present. And the final three will tell us about what could happen in your future.”

“Should I turn them all over, too?” he asks, his hand hovering closer to the cards.

“Not yet,” she tells him, and shows him where to place the cards as he draws them. 

He takes in a breath and then chooses the cards one at a time, and as he does so she helps him arrange them in a kind of grid. She leaves the rest of the cards where they are, for now. She asks him if he has a particular question in mind, and he shakes his head. But his brow furrows a little, making her wonder if there is something that he’s wondering about but just doesn’t want to share it out loud. 

“Alright,” she smiles again. “Let’s begin. These first three cards will draw attention to events in your past. I'll invite you to turn them over one at a time, and we’ll see what they tell us.”

With a nervous smile, he does as she asks, and turns over the first three cards one at a time. As he does so Tessa examines each of them, letting some thoughts form in her mind. She offers him another gentle smile as she prepares her first comments.

“You’ve lost someone important,” she starts, radiating compassion as she says it. She’s never had a reading where the Five of Cups has not meant the loss of a loved one, and from the way this man is reacting now she guesses that streak isn’t about to come to an end. But it’s the first card he drew, and she doesn’t want to ignore it. In her experience the difficult cards are usually best faced head-on.

He simply nods, his eyes closing tightly for a moment. “More than one someone,” he tells her. Hearing him say that out loud makes her heart sink. 

“I’m so sorry,” Tessa says gently. Her hand rests on the table between them, a few inches from his. “There’s nothing easy about that.”

“No, there isn’t,” he answers, a kind of certainty in his voice. She simply lets him sit with that thought, waiting to see if he wants to add anything. “It was a few years ago,” he says after another moment. “And it’s taken me some time to come to terms with it, and I’m in a good place now. But losing them definitely changed my life,” he finishes, and Tessa nods, sensing that’s as much as he wants to say about it for now.

She looks at the other cards that he’s turned over, noticing the Knight of Wands is reversed instead of upright. “When court cards appear they usually draw our attention to specific people,” she explains. “This Knight is someone usually very passionate, and energetic, always ready for new adventures or challenges.” As she speaks she notices his expression shifting a little, as though in surprise and recognition. She’d wondered if the card represents him, and now she thinks she was right. Not to mention it’s the first court card to appear so far in the reading. “But this card is reversed,” she continues. “Which means something has happened to diminish these energies. This person has experienced a significant change, or disruption, perhaps even doubts whether they are on the right path. 

“That...that’s an interesting way of putting it,” he responds. “The last few years have been...eventful, to say the least.”

“It sounds like this one is about you, then,” Tessa says, and sees him nod. “That would make sense that it’s reversed, what with the loss and change you’ve experienced.”

He seems to agree with that. “Yeah. But the way you described it at first, that’s…” he chuckles a little. “A lot of people in my family would say that’s me to a ‘T,’” he says. She’s glad something in the reading has brought his smile back. 

“So then, this third one is the Six of Swords,” she explains, pointing to the third card. “It represents a journey, possibly one towards healing. A time of steering through turbulent waters towards somewhere calmer.” 

“Yes,” he says, his voice a little rough now. He swallows. “I’d say that’s accurate, too.”

“These cards draw attention to past events that still hold some significant influence over what’s happening in your life right now. So let’s turn over the next three cards and see what they have to tell us about your present.” She gestures for him to turn over the middle three cards on the table. 

He does so, one at a time just like before. Tessa looks them over and sees more of a picture forming in her mind. She smiles at him again as she begins again. “I can tell that the changes you’ve experienced have had an affect on your relationships,” she says, gesturing to a reversed Two of Cups. “Or perhaps romantic attachment has simply not become your first priority at the moment,” she offers, and see his shoulders drop a little bit as though in recognition. “That would make sense, given the challenges you’ve come through already.” 

He nods in affirmation, a half-smile on his face that seems a little regretful. Tessa glances back at the remaining two cards. “This middle card shows the Hierophant,” she explains. “For many people this card can feel intimidating - it’s a figure who represents institutions and authority. But just as likely it can indicate the desire to seek counsel - either from a trusted advisor or mentor, or from someone in the legal profession.”

The man’s eyes close briefly, and his expression shifts into an almost wry smile. It seems she’s hit something right. “You’re not wrong about that. My guess is an adoption arrangement would qualify there?” 

She lifts her eyebrows a little. It’s the first time he’s offered a direct answer to any of her statements, giving her more of a glimpse into his world. Now she wonders even more about the first few cards, and what his relationship is with the adoption. She wonders if it was the result of a separation, or...or the loss. “It certainly would make sense for this card,” she answers gently. Her hand rests on the table between them again, closer to his. She could reach out and take his hand so easily if she wanted too, but she doesn’t dare cross that line in the middle of a reading with someone new. “And it’s my guess that this is the event that’s overshadowed everything else in your life right now.” It’s the only Major Arcana card to appear so far, and clearly indicative of the most significant thing happening in his life. 

“You’re not wrong about that, either,” he says, exhaling as he does so. 

“But sometimes legal arrangements can bring clarity and help one more forward, even though they can be stressful. And from what I can see here, it hasn’t diminished who you are as a person,” Tessa offers, and then pauses for a split second. She realizes now she’s on the verge of reading him instead of reading the cards, and that’s something she tries not to do if she can help it. “See? The Six of Pentacles,” she indicates, showing a card with a figure handing out coins. “This tells me you’re a generous man, ready to give of yourself and support those around you.” She sees a hint of a smile return to his expression and his cheeks redden just a little. It makes her wonder if he’s someone who doesn’t seek out compliments very often - and it also tells her she’s reading things right. In any case, her description of that card seems to have put him at ease, and she’s grateful for that.

“So, I guess I should look at what’s going to happen next?” he asks, with the same half-nervous expression as before. She’s not sure if he’s eager to finish the reading or mostly keen to move past the uncomfortable cards, but either way she’s fine to proceed. 

“What _could_ happen next,” she emphasizes. But for some reason she doesn’t think these last three cards are going to do anything further to disorient him. As she watches him reach towards the cards she feels only affection for him, and a hope that these last few will offer him some comfort and reassurance. She closes her eyes briefly, as if willing that to be true.

Tessa then watches as the man turns over a reversed Three of Swords, and then the Page of Wands, and finally the Ten of Cups. She nods, smiling warmly at him once again. He looks at the cards for a long moment, absorbing them and looking like he’s thinking about them. She considers his expression. “What do you see?”

He reaches for the Ten of Cups, sliding the card a little closer to himself. “It looks happy,” he says simply. “Like a happy family, at home.” He’s smiling more easily. 

She nods. “They are. That’s exactly what this shows,” she affirms. “This is one of the happiest cards in the deck. And it’s the kind of happiness that doesn't just happen overnight, either. So I’d say the cards are showing you something that’s not just possible but has already begun. And not just for your family but for you personally, or one loved one in particular,” she adds, pointing to the upright Page of Wands. “You’ve got new adventures ahead, new pursuits...even new love, if that’s what you want.”

The man looks at her again, a mix of surprise and hope on his face. “I guess I had hoped that would be true, I just...I suppose I haven’t let myself want those things for myself. Not for a long time, anyway.”

“That’s a hard thing to walk around with, too,” Tessa answers gently. “Holding back from living the life you want.”

“Yes,” he nods, releasing a breath. “It is. But necessary too, sometimes.”

The way he says it makes her heart reach for him again. Like he’s someone who’s worked for a long time to make sure other people in his life have been supported and loved, and like someone who very much deserves those things for himself, too. And the reason she can recognize those things in him is because she knows they’ve been a part of her life, too, probably for too long a time. “Yes, that too,” she agrees with him, her voice soft. “I can understand that.”

He lifts his hand towards the final card, touching his fingers to the reversed Three of Hearts. “This one doesn’t seem so happy, though,” he observes, his fingers running over the image of a pierced heart, shadowed by rain and storm clouds. And he’s not entirely wrong about that observation, either. It’s an intimidating card to read, especially when upright. But here it’s reversed, and Tessa makes a guess at why.

“There are some heartbreaks that never truly leave us,” she offers. “We still feel them, even when time has helped us heal from them. The same is true for you, and what you’ve experienced in the course of events that have led you to where you are now.” She reaches over and touches the card too, her fingers brushing briefly against his. “It doesn’t mean you don’t still feel that loss, just that it doesn’t need to hold you back.”

“I like that,” he answers. “That makes a lot of sense. It’s something other people have told me before, too, but…” his voice trails off a little as he thinks. “I like the way you put it.” 

“I’m glad. And I think there’s a lot here to be hopeful about,” she says. “Is there anything else you want to ask about?” Sometimes her clients ask more questions about a card in particular, or want to draw another card or two to follow up. But he shakes his head.

“No, that’s fine,” he says. “This has been more than enough, thank you.” He sits up a little straighter, pulling his hands away. It’s a signal that the reading is coming to an end for him.

“You’re very welcome. And please, come back any time, Mr…”

He looks suddenly mortified. “Oh, I’m Scott. I’m sorry I didn’t properly introduce myself before, I see now I should have. Scott Moir,” he adds, holding out his hand towards her. 

She takes his hand and shakes it. It’s the first time she’s actually had proper physical contact with him, and she finds it steadying. His handshake is reassuring and confident, not rushed or crushing the way some clients often are. Her smile is broad as she returns the gesture. 

“I’m Tessa. Tessa Virtue. It’s very nice to meet you, Scott.”

“Are you here every week?” he asks, encouraged. She feels briefly excited at the idea that she’ll see him again - she finds herself keen to spend more time with him and get to know him better.

“I’m here every day,” Tessa answers. “Well, almost every day - we’re closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. I’m the proprietor here, this is my shop. If I’m not here then Kaitlyn will be,” she says, nodding over to the front counter. 

Scott nods back. “Then, I’ll be happy to come in again. You have a lovely store,” he tells her, looking around. He stands to put on his coat and picks up the bag with his purchases. “And you keep a good selection here. These will be going home to a very happy little lady, I can promise you.”

Tessa smile becomes a grin now. “I’m so glad. Please tell her she’s welcome to come and look in with you, I’d love to show her some more of our kids’ section. And hear about what she likes.”

Scott’s expression mirrors hers now. “Count on it. Thank you, again, Tessa,” he says. 

She shakes his hand again and waves as he walks out. As she watches him leave she just stands for a moment, as though not sure what to do next. She wishes she had a way to contact him, or that she’d told him more about their store hours or the fact that she’ll be at the fall fair in the town square this weekend. She’s looking forward to so many things, all of a sudden. 

Tessa blinks and lets out a breath and then gathers up the cards, feeling a little hopeful herself.

*

An hour later Tessa finishes closing up the store, bids Kaitlyn goodnight, and walks home. It’s dusk now, and as she heads through the neighbourhood on her way home she sees a few of the remaining shop-keepers turning off their lights and drawing their blinds. As she walks she replays the day in her mind, remembering a few things she’ll need to take care of tomorrow. And she finds her mind drifting back to the reading with Scott. She knows she’s a good reader - hell, there’s more than one rumour that’s followed her around all her life that would attest to that - but it’s still not every day that she has a tarot reading go so accurately. And for someone new to the cards, at that. 

It had even felt easy, when she thinks about it. Not just the reading itself but talking with him, sitting with him. It had felt like it wasn’t their first time meeting each other, like she could speak honestly with him without worry. 

Tessa’s still thinking about him when she gets home, almost as though the walk and time alone with her thoughts have only served to amplify her curiosity about him. It’s almost startling to walk through her front door and back into her normal life, as though it can’t have been just this morning that she was last here. But as soon as she hangs her coat in the hallway and walks through the long corridor lined with books, she can hear the familiar sounds of activity. 

“Hey, anybody miss me?” she says when she reaches the kitchen, dropping her purse and tote bag on a waiting chair. The two figures in the dining room just beyond turn their heads in one motion, as though Tessa’s interrupted some serious conversation.

“Mom, you’re back!” The boy immediately runs over to her. He hugs her around her waist and she reciprocates, clasping her arms around his shoulders.

“I missed you all day. It’s been so long since I saw you this morning,” she tells him eagerly.

“But it was only just this morning!” Leo says, like the day has gone by in a flash, and for him it likely has. He looks over at her things, and then back up at her, knowing that she often returns from her late evenings with something special. “Did you bring me anything?”

Tessa laughs a little, and runs her hand over his head and shoulders. “There might be a new book in there just right for very smart and adventurous seven-year-olds,” she tells him, and his face lights up. He goes right to her tote bag now that he has permission, and rifles through until he finds the book she means. It’s the newest one in a series he’s been enjoying, about a brother and sister who learn to fight monsters together.

“Yeah!” he exclaims, grasping the book. “Thanks, Mom!” he says, and then runs off with his treat. Tessa can see him making a beeline for the couch in the living room that’s just off the dining room, and by the time she turns back to Jordan he probably has the book open already.

She just shakes her head, glad that he’s happy. She turns to her sister then and Jordan gives her a quick hug. “Thanks for getting him from school,” she tells her. “And handling dinner. Although from the looks of it, it seems more like breakfast?” She glances around the kitchen and sees what looks like the remnants of pancakes. With whipped cream on top. And bacon on the side.

“You know it. Dinner of champions for normal people, breakfast of champions for those of us about to go on night shift,” Jordan answers. She’s a nurse at the hospital in town, and as much as she begrudges her weeks when she works nights, Tessa also knows she finds the work just as meaningful. 

“I do know,” Tessa confirms. Her sister will be headed for her regular nursing shift in another hour “It’s okay, you know how much Leo loves Thursdays with you. His mom never lets him have pancakes and whipped cream for dinner,” she adds, lifting one eyebrow.

“That’s why it’s so much _fun_ being the fun aunt.” Jordan winks at her. She reaches for a potholder and then pulls out a tray from the warm oven, where several pancakes and slices of crispy bacon are waiting, ready. “Ta da!” she says with a flourish, and then makes quick work of putting together a plate.

“Thanks, Jo,” Tessa says, coming to sit at the kitchen island with her sister. She takes a bite and it’s wonderful - perhaps a little over-done around the edges but still good.

“You’re welcome. You look like you need food.”

“Mmm,” she says in confirmation, and then reaches for the bowl of blueberries waiting on the counter. She adds some of the fruit and then tops it off with a dollop of whipped cream. _Why not_ , she thinks to herself. “It was a long day. Not a bad day, really, just long,” she says, exhaling. Just like that, her thoughts drift back to Scott, wondering when she’ll see him again. She hopes he’s having a good evening too, with his family, just like she is right now. 

Just then Tessa feels a nudge at her lower leg and sees Minnie the cat winding her way around Tessa’s chair. “Nice to see you too, Minerva,” she says gently. She reaches down and scratches the cat’s ears, offering some affectionate words as she pets her. 

“You want to tell me about it?” Jordan asks. She settles in a chair opposite Tessa, a mug of coffee in her hands. 

So Tessa does. As she eats she relates the events of her day - the new inventory that came in, and working out a new schedule with Kaitlyn, and checking in with Eric who’s the new manager of her store’s suburban location. By the time she gets to telling her about her tarot reading back at the shop downtown her plate is almost empty and she’s just clutching a mug and leaning against the counter like her sister. She tells her about how she’d almost been ready to leave but then Scott had come in and she’d waited around, and then been very glad she did.

When she describes the reading with Scott she doesn’t go into complete detail - it’s one of her personal rules about reading the cards - but she does say a little about how nice it was to read for him, and how their conversation had wrapped up. She’s describing the book series he’d bought for his daughter as she finishes her very last bite of pancakes, and then when she looks up she sees Jordan looking back at her with such a curious expression on her face.

“What is it?” Tessa asks, swallowing licking her lips. She looks down to check she hasn’t spilled something on herself. 

“This guy you read for...It sounds like he made quite an impression on you,” she says knowingly. 

Tessa blushes, pushing her plate aside complete. “Jordan, be serious. I just met the guy, we talked for maybe half an hour.”

Her sister shakes her head. “Then that was _some_ half hour,” she insists.

Tessa swallows again, unable to come up with a response. The truth is she’s not wrong. And she thinks maybe part of why she couldn’t stop thinking about him on her way home is because she can’t decide whether to be excited or terrified about it - or both. 

“Let me see your deck.” Jordan isn’t asking so much as demanding, though she’s doing it as affectionately as she can manage.

“Jo…” Tessa answers, caution in her tone.

“Come on, give it,” Jordan insists. 

Tessa fishes through her handbag for the velvet pouch, then holds it with both hands briefly. “Just remember it was only one reading. It was probably less than half an hour, even.”

Her sister curls her hand and opens it again a couple of times in quick succession, silently demanding the deck. Tessa hands it to her and Jordan pulls out the cards. She shuffles them exactly three times, cuts the deck once, then moves to pull the top card. Before she does, she pauses and looks back at Tessa. 

“Describe the way it felt when you were with him,” Jordan asks. Her voice carries none of the confrontation of a moment ago, replaced now with probing curiosity and deep, deep empathy. 

Tessa takes in a breath and lets it out again, closing her eyes for a moment. “It felt...it almost felt like I knew him already. It felt like it was important that I read the cards for him,” she says, her voice faltering a little as part of her tries to figure out why she’d felt that way. “It felt like when I was talking to him in that time...I was exactly where I was supposed to be,” she shrugs. She opens her eyes and sees her sister looking at her so intently, but also with something like understanding.

Wordlessly, Jordan nods. Then without any additional flourish pulls the top card off the deck, and places it on the table in front of Tessa. 

The Lovers stares back at her.

Tessa’s mouth opens in a silent gasp. “That...that doesn’t necessarily mean…” she starts, her words faltering. She swallows, thinking. “That doesn’t mean we’re supposed to fall in love, it could mean something else - a decision, a choice. Maybe my reading is helping him make a decision about something important,” she says, exhaling a breath.

Jordan lifts one eyebrow. “Maybe,” she allows. She slides the deck towards Tessa, inviting her to continue. “Are you sure about that?”

Tessa lets out another sigh, not sure what her answer is. But she reaches for the deck and rests her hand on it, then nods, sitting up straight. She cuts the deck and re-stacks it, then fans out all of the cards in front of her. She pulls a card and places it face up next to The Lovers.

“Ace of Cups,” Jordan reads, her voice more gentle than smug. There’s a soft smile on her face when she looks at Tessa. “Seems pretty clear to me.”

Tessa swallows, her eyes shutting against sudden tears. She feels the cat jump softly onto her lap, then, as though offering reassurance. She doesn’t know why she’s feeling like this all of a sudden, just that she can’t stop it. The cards are right, she knows they are. 

“But I hardly know anything about him, not really,” she says, blinking. “A couple of hours ago I didn’t even know him.” 

“What are you feeling right now?” Her sister asks.

She lets out a breath. “Nervousness,” she admits. “And excitement, I guess,” she offers with a scant smile. “I liked talking to him, it felt so easy. And I know I want to see him again.”

“Well that sounds like a good start,” Jordan offers. “What else?”

“You _know_ what else,” Tessa counters. “It’s been years since Simon. Since anyone,” she adds with a knot in her throat. She’s been separated from her ex-husband since before Leo was born, and anyone else she’d tried a relationship with hadn’t lasted very long. There had been no one she’d come close to considering a long future with, not by a long shot. 

And while she hasn’t exactly regretted being on her own with Leo, she’s had more than her fair share of moments of second-guessing herself - unsure if she genuinely hasn’t found the right person, or if she’s just been too guarded to even consider anyone seriously. Either way, she’s had several years of near solitude as a result. And she’s come to accept that as her reality, now. It’s better, in a lot of ways. But in other ways...

She closes her eyes again, feeling Jordan’s hand stroking along her arm and shoulder. And then Minnie’s soft head nudging at her chin and chest. Amidst all of her vulnerabilities she’s still surrounded by so much comfort.

"We're Virtue women. Knowledge is our gift," Jordan says, almost ruefully. It's a familiar refrain.

Tessa breathes out a half-laugh. “Well I wish our gift would be a little more specific about what I’m supposed to do next,” she says, wiping under her eyes. She strokes one hand along Minnie’s back, feeling her gentle, insistent purring.

Jordan purses her lips as though thinking about it, and then reaches for the cards again. She lets her hand over them before choosing one and turning it over. 

The Chariot stares back at them, and Tessa just laughs again. 

“There’s your answer,” Jordan says, laughing too. “Full speed ahead.”

“Then I guess I’d better get behind the wheel again.”

“You can do it, Tess, I promise. Just...when you see him again don’t let the moment pass you by. Go for it and see what happens, okay?”

“Alright. I will,” she insists, as much for her own benefit as her sister’s.

And after all, the cards are never wrong.   
  


*

As it turns out, she only needs to wait until Saturday until she sees him again. Tessa’s running a booth at the fall fair out in the town square, with rotating assistance from Kaitlyn and then Eric. They’ve brought a few popular Halloween favourites and have set up a bookmark-decorating station for the kids. Tessa has brought a few decks of cards with her and holds a separate table off to one side just for readings - all fees going towards the local animal shelter to support their fall adoption drive. (The animal shelter have also set up a booth with a grooming station and a pet-hugging area for kids. Leo has already visited twice with Jordan and begged for both a dog and a second cat, but so far Tessa has stayed strong). 

She’d even let Jordan convince her to lean in to the witchy Halloween vibes, and has put on one of her longer black dresses with a matching, gauzy sort-of-jacket over top. For good measure she’d thrown on a silver necklace with the pendant that looks like a spider - a birthday gift from her mother a few years ago. ( _“Who cares if anybody thinks we’re real witches, T, it’s the one time of year it’s okay,”_ she’d reasoned with her. _“Besides, you look gorgeous in it.”_ ) And it does look good on her, and it’s the fall fair, and Halloween is less than a week away, so why not. 

It’s been a busy day, so much so that by the middle of the afternoon Tessa’s glad when their bookmark-decorating station starts to decline in favour of the face-painting station that the beauty salon sets up just after lunchtime. Tessa breathes a brief sigh of relief as she sits down, observing Eric leaning back in his chair as well, sipping a coffee in momentary solitude.

A few minutes later she sees Scott winding his way through the crowds, accompanied by a young girl. She’s holding his hand in one of hers, and a very large caramel-covered apple in the other. Tessa lights up immediately, just before Scott sees her, too. She waves to him and stands as they make their way over.

“Hi!” she says brightly, looking from him to his daughter. The girl presses herself close against Scott’s leg, but smiles back, sweetly and shyly. She’s got pink cheeks and golden blond hair, and Tessa puts her at about five years old - maybe six. 

“You can say hi, Cee,” Scott says encouragingly, patting her shoulder. “Tessa’s one of my new friends, remember I told you about the cool bookstore?” He takes the candied apple from her hand since it seems like she’s finished with it for now. Tessa reaches for an empty paper cup from their hot cider station and hands it to Scott, who takes it gratefully and rests the apple in it. 

“Are you the bookstore lady?” the girl asks, quickly looking from Scott to Tessa.

“That’s me!” Tessa says. “I’m Tessa, it’s nice to meet you,” she adds, crouching a little lower and holding out her hand. 

“I’m Celia,” the girl answers, still a little shy. But she waves her hand at Tessa and Tessa waves back easily, wiggling her fingers. 

“I’ve heard you like books,” Tessa offers, and Celia nods, smiling and fidgeting with her hands. “Would you like to have some warm cider with me? We have books here you can look at, too, or you can decorate a bookmark over there with my friend Eric, if you want.” She looks over and sees Eric returning a very charming smile and a wave in their direction. There’s a little boy and his mum over there now, drawing with the crayons. 

“Ooh, cider sounds really great, huh, Cee?” Scott asks her. “Or maybe some colouring?”

“Cider, please,” she says, quietly eager, and Scott laughs a little.

“Two ciders then, please, just like the lady ordered,” he confirms. They come to sit down with her at Tessa’s table as she fills up cups for all three of them, Celia between the two adults. “Are you reading cards today too?” Scott asks as they sit with their cider. He’s looking over at Tessa’s decks sitting to one side.

“Oh yes, I always do readings at the fair. But just now I think we’ve got some competition from the face-painting and the pumpkin carving,” she says, looking around at the activity elsewhere.

“Are these fancy cards?” Celia asks. She reaches for one of the decks with her little fingers, and Tessa smiles, guessing that her shy exterior is hiding a curious and imaginative mind. It makes her feel some affinity for her, and also makes her think she and Leo would probably get along quite well.

“Sort of,” Tessa says. She reaches for one deck in particular, the one she holds aside in case there are younger visitors who want to explore the cards. This set is beautifully drawn and brightly coloured, and one that Tessa has already taken the liberty of removing any of the more worrisome cards. “These cards all tell different stories,” she explains. “About what’s very special in your life right now.” She pulls the deck out of its bag and fans the cards out, face up, so Celia can see all of them. 

Sure enough the girl puts her hand out and runs her fingers over them, like she’s just feeling the texture of all the card edges laid out together. But then she reaches for one and Tessa smiles when she pulls out the Sun.

“Oh, that’s one of my very favourite cards,” Tessa says. 

“What story does this one mean?” Celia asks, her face lighting up in curiosity. 

Tessa leans in, her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand. She spares a glance and a wink at Scott, trying to let him know there’s nothing to worry about with this card - or this whole exercise, for that matter. Truth be told it’s mostly the grown-ups who get curious about her cards. Celia’s the first child to ask her about them in a while.

“Well, what does it make you think about when you look at it?”

Celia holds the card close to her with both hands and looks at it like she’s really thinking about it. “It looks like...a happy sun that’s making everyone have a warm sunny day,” she decides, pleased with her answer. 

Tessa laughs gently, and Scott does too. “That’s a pretty good description, actually,” Tessa says. She has an impulse to put her arm around the girl but holds back, letting her decide how she wants to engage. Instead Tessa just leans a little closer, and points to a few parts of the picture on the card. “This card could be a story about a very, very sunny day, the best sunniest day of the whole year. Or it could be about a happy time, when you feel really sunny on the inside, because of everything else that’s happening.”

Celia looks up at Tessa brightly, recognition in her eyes. Then she looks back over at Scott. “Like today!”

“Is it?” Scott answers. “Today’s been a really fun, sunny day, hasn’t it,” he says, patting one hand on her shoulder. Celia puts out her hands on top of his knee and steps closer to him again. Then she just nods, a few times in quick succession. Scott glances back at Tessa, a warm expression on his face. “This morning we got to hang out with Grandma and have special Saturday breakfast,” he explains for Tessa’s benefit, as though narrating on Celia’s behalf. “And then we went to the skating arena and we tried out our new skates for the very first time.”

“Ooh, I love ice skating,” Tessa says, just as warmly. “I sometimes take my son Leo to the skating rink but we haven’t been yet this year. He wants to try hockey, I think.”

“Well then we have something to look forward to, don’t we, Cee?” Scott says, running one hand through Celia’s hair to brush it out of her eyes. “Maybe Tessa and Leo can come too some time.”

Celia smiles that same shy pink-cheeked smile again. “My daddy runs the whole skating rink,” she says proudly, and Scott sputters out a half-laugh.

“Well, not quite the whole rink,” he says, hugging her a little. “But I am managing the training programs there now, and I guess I do have a set of keys to the place,” he allows, measured pride in his voice as he glances back at Tessa.

“Oh, well then we’ll have to come skate there again soon, that seals the deal,” Tessa says. She doesn’t mind admitting she is completely charmed by him. And even though it was Celia who pulled out the Sun card a minute ago, she’s feeling some of that same sunny feeling herself now, too. She catches herself just looking back at Scott for a moment, as their eyes meet and neither of them breaks the gaze right away. He looks relaxed, much lighter than when she saw him a couple of evenings ago - the time with his daughter and the day off seem to suit him very well. 

It’s Celia who interrupts them first. “Are you a real witch?” she asks, looking at Tessa with interest as though adding up the cards, and Tessa’s black gown, and the conversation. 

“Oh my, what a question.” Tessa just reacts at first. It’s not like she’s never heard that question before, but it’s admittedly been quite a while, and she’s a bit caught off guard.

“Celia,” Scott interrupts, surprised. “I’m not sure that’s a nice question to ask.” He’s looking from her and Tessa like he needs to apologize, horrified that they might have spoiled something for her.

“It’s alright,” she says, putting out her hand gently. She looks at Celia, who’s blushing a little, feeling the admonishment in Scott’s voice but also still genuinely intrigued to hear Tessa’s answer. Her green eyes are wide with curiosity under her messy blonde hair. And that’s when Tessa realizes the girl isn’t at all afraid of the answer. The Chariot card appears back in her mind all of a sudden. 

Tessa’s mouth quirks a little as she decides her response. “Well,” she starts, just like when they’d looked at the cards together a moment ago. “What would a real witch be like, do you think?”

Celia blinks, her head tilting and her mouth twisting a little like Tessa’s. “In stories witches always wear black,” she starts, like she’s really thinking about it. “And they have black cats, and live in big houses in the woods with lots of books, and they make potions and spells,” she finishes decisively.

Tessa smiles, half-laughing as she exhales. “Well, I am wearing black, you’re right,” she says, looking down at her dress. “And I do have a lot of books, and a black cat at home. I don’t quite live in the woods, although there are a lot of trees around my house,” she thinks out loud. “But I don’t make potions or spells,” she says finally, shaking her head as she leans in again towards Celia.

“Then you can be a different kind of witch!” Celia answers, like it’s the obvious thing. “The kind that tells the future, instead of doing potions,” she says. Her small hands rest on the table again, touching the bright cards.

Scott laughs a little too, his hand rubbing across his daughter’s shoulders. “I guess that sounds pretty good too,” he says, sounding both delighted and relieved. 

“I agree,” Tessa agrees. On instinct she reaches for another card, only half looking at what it is. When she places it next to the Sun she sees it’s the Nine of Cups. “And I can see your future is that you are going to have a very happy day today,” she tells her. “Do you think that’s going to come true?”

“I think so,” Celia giggles, a small, buoyant sound that permeates the whole space around them. Tessa breathes out a laugh again, entirely delighted. 

There’s more excited chatter behind them, then, the sounds of more visitors gathering at the bookmark station. 

Celia, seemingly satisfied with Tessa’s answer to her question, turns and asks Scott if she can go do some colouring at the other table. 

“Of course, honey,” he answers, clearing his throat a little. “You can go over and I’ll be there in just a minute, okay?”

Tessa nods in agreement, and then looks over to see Eric’s overheard them. He offers a wave again, and after a pause Celia decides that sounds okay, and scampers over to one of the empty chairs at the colouring table with an excited smile on her face. When Tessa turns back to Scott she can’t help but noticed the relaxed, proud expression on his. 

“She’s wonderful, Scott,” she tells him gently.

“Yeah, you can say that again,” he answers, mirroring her tone. 

“It does sound like you guys are having a great day together,” she offers. She lets her hand rest on the card Celia drew, admiring the image. 

“It’s been a full day, that’s for sure,” he agrees. “I think we’re probably about an hour away from heading home for a nap, but yeah, it’s been pretty great.” He pauses, looking like he’s thinking. “I think this is one of the first weekends since we moved here that she’s really felt settled in, like she knows how everything goes and it’s a normal routine,” he tells her, glancing over at Celia again and then back to Tessa. “Saturday mornings we visit Grandma, and in the afternoon we go to the arena and then the park. But today we came here instead of the park and she’s just been soaking it all in and talking to new people, coming out of her shell a little more. It’s…” he sighs a little. “It’s been really great to see.”

“I can see that,” Tessa says. She wants to say something else, about how she can tell how much curiosity Celia has, and how smart and creative she seems, even just from the few minutes she’s spent with her so far. And how she and Scott clearly love each other so much. But she’s not sure how far to go just yet, and even though she already feels such affinity for this man she can’t guarantee he feels the same way about her. 

More than that, Tessa can see more of him, now. She can tell that her cards were so right about his qualities - she can feel the generosity and care in his voice. Tessa can feel the bright energy and enthusiasm he must have for the world around him, something that she wonders if he’s had to temper a little as a single parent to such a thoughtful, inquisitive child. It makes her want to know him more, to spend as much time with him as she can. And it makes her hope he knows all of these good things about himself.

Scott sits up a little straighter, then, clearing his throat. “Thank you, for the conversation the other evening,” he tells her directly. “For the...the reading, with the cards. And for listening. I hadn’t planned on doing that, I really did just go to look for some books, but then I saw you there at that table and it seemed so…” he shrugs a little, swallowing. “It helped, seeing all those cards on the table and talking things out like that. It felt reassuring.”

Tessa can’t help but smile again, broadly like it’s a reflex she can’t stop. “I’m so glad, really I am. It was my pleasure. It sounds like you’ve had a lot happening in your life the last few years.”

“Yeah, you could say that, too. But a lot of it has been good. The best, even,” he says, glancing briefly over at Celia. “Your cards helped remind of that,” he tells Tessa. 

“Oh, I’m glad,” she repeats, reaching her hand a little closer to him. “That’s the best possible result I could ask for.” 

He’s looking at her with that same soft expression from before. When he lets his hand rest on top of hers, ever so briefly, she feels a rush of warmth run through her. 

“Would you like to come to the shop now?” Tessa says suddenly, so many thoughts in her mind just then. Scott blinks a little, like she’s interrupted some train of thought. “Only, it’s just that I promised you I could show your daughter the children's books we have. But it doesn’t have to be today, I didn’t mean to interrupt your plans,” she explains quickly. 

“No, that--I mean, yes, we’d love to,” Scott says. He draws his hand away, but not before squeezing hers quickly. “That is if you don’t have to stay here instead.” 

“I can swap with Kaitlyn or Meagan, they’re the ones minding the shop right now,” Tessa says.

Just then Celia comes running back up to Scott, her freshly coloured bookmark in her hand. 

“Oh, I love it, honey,” he says, kissing her on the cheek. “Should we go find a new book to put it in? Tessa said we can go look at her bookstore now if we want to,” he tells her. 

“Yes, please!” Celia answers, and that settles it. 

*

Tessa leaves the booth in Eric’s capable hands, and she and Scott and Celia make their way through the fair and over to Tessa’s shop on the other side of the town square. Megan does swap with her, and Tessa gets to spend the better part of the next hour showing Celia all over their children’s section at the back of the store. She finds out she is indeed six years old, but is already reading at a level closer to a seven or eight-year-old - she also likes a lot of the same books Leo does, making her think, once again, that they might get along well together. 

She sits next to Celia on one of the benches looking over books together, when it finally occurs to her to look at her watch she’s shocked at how much time has passed. Scott’s there nearby on another chair, holding a mug of coffee in one hand, and Tessa realizes she’s been so absorbed she hadn’t even realized Scott had gone to order a drink. From the looks of it he’s also been holding onto a few books in a pile of his own.

Scott just smiles and shakes his head at her, telling her it’s all completely fine. He’s only glad they’ve been enjoying themselves. 

A short while later Scott does rally them to get going, though, knowing that they’re already a bit late to get home for some quiet time before dinner. He lets Celia pick her favourite two choices from the ones they’ve looked at, and promises they can come back again for more next time after she’s read these. Kaitlyn’s there at the till, capable and cheerful, waving hello to Celia and Scott. But Tessa happily rings them up herself, sliding Celia’s bookmark inside one of the books before placing them in a paper bag. She also adds one of the store’s cards, quickly writing her own cell phone number onto the back. She notices Scott noticing her do that, and she feels her cheeks flush a little pink as he does. 

Finally she comes back around from the counter, everything all set. “Here you go, sweetie,” she says, giving Celia the bag to hold. “Would you like to carry your new books home?”

She takes them with both hands, smiling and nodding. 

“Should we say thank you to Tessa?” Scott says, crouching next to Celia. “For the really great afternoon, and the cider and all the books?”

Celia brightens, like she’d forgotten about saying thank you but she’s so glad to do it now. “Thank you!” she says to Tessa. “For the afternoon and all the books.” She tucks the bag closer to her chest, under one arm. 

“You’re very welcome,” she answers. “You can come back any time. Maybe next time my son can join us too, he likes a lot of the same books as you do,” she winks. 

“That sounds like a great idea,” Scott agrees. “What do you think, Cee?”

“Okay,” she says, some shyness returning, but also that same curiosity.

Scott stands up then, ready to head out. They take a couple of steps towards the door and then Celia pauses, giving her books to Scott to hold. Then Celia turns back to Tessa, and quickly presses herself against her in a hug.

“Oh my,” Tessa blinks, just startled at first. It’s the first time the girl has initiated any physical contact with her all afternoon - and Tessa had never expected anything like this. She reciprocates, though, letting both hands come to rest on her shoulders. The girl’s little arms are tight around her legs, a smaller version of the way it feels when Leo hugs her. It’s a wonderful feeling. 

Celia lifts her head then, looking up at Tessa. “I think you’re a good witch,” she says clearly, and happily, like she’s decided it and needed to tell Tessa too in case she didn’t know it herself. 

Tessa’s breath catches in her throat. That warm feeling she’d had earlier with Scott comes rushing back to her, and she blinks again, her eyes suddenly damp. She swallows, and then smiles again, wanting to make sure the girl feels good about what she said, because it _is_ good. “Thank you, sweetheart, I really like that.” She crouches down to give her a proper little hug, and Celia does just that, squeezing her tightly around her shoulders. 

Then she stands, watching as Celia takes her father’s hand. Scott’s expression is a combination of amazement, and pride, and adoration. He offers Tessa a smile and another wave, wordless but grateful, and then he and Celia step out the door. 

Tessa just stands there for a moment, not entirely sure what’s just happened, but also very glad for it. She looks over at Kaitlyn, who’s been pleasantly observing the entire interaction for the last few minutes - probably for the whole last hour, it occurs to her now.

“Wow,” Kaitlyn says, a little amazed herself. She looks impressed and delighted.

“Yeah. Wow,” Tessa repeats, thinking that's a fairly apt response. 

“I bet we see them again tomorrow,” Kaitlyn adds next, with a wink. 

“You think they’re going to need more books again that soon?” Tessa asks, confused.

Kaitlyn chuckles, and then reaches out and squeezes Tessa’s arm. “They both adore you, Tess. I don’t think it even matters about the books.”

They trade places, then, as Kaitlyn walks off to help another customer in the store, and Tessa sits down on the stool behind the counter. 

It’s been such a remarkable day. She feels lighter than she has in a long time. And for all her talk of not being someone who does spells or potions, she’s not entirely sure a spell hasn’t been cast over her.  
  


*

Tessa doesn’t see them tomorrow, as it turns out. But she does hear from Scott - he calls up just after lunchtime, not on the shop line but on her cell phone number that she’d scribbled down for him yesterday. He thanks her again for the afternoon the day before, which makes her smile. He asks her about her day so far and she tells him all the mundane glamour of her Sunday life - spending most of the morning at home with Leo, before dropping him off at her mother’s for the afternoon while she works the shop. She doesn’t always manage the shop on her own on Sundays, but today she preferred to let Kaitlyn have a day off, given the hustle and bustle of their fall fair day yesterday.

She asks him about his day, and it turns out to be quite similar to hers - he’s spending the afternoon at the arena taking care of some preparations for the week to come, and Celia’s at her grandmother’s - along with her new stash of books that she’s very excited to read.

“Then I’m glad,” she says. “I expect a full review from her next time I see her, that way I can know what else to recommend her.”

Scott’s gentle laugh is audible on the other end of the phone. “Oh, you can count on it. She asked me three times this morning when we get to go back to the bookstore with the nice witch lady,” he tells her.

Tessa winces just a little at the description, but then realizes it’s all well-meaning. “Thank you, that’s...it was very touching, spending time with her.”

“Celia has a way of discovering who the really great people are around her,” he says, a little more softly. “And it’s clear that you’re one of those people.”

Tessa swallows, not sure what to say to that. She’d mostly just wanted to help the girl feel welcome in her shop - in her town, for that matter - and hadn’t expected anything else. She clears her throat. “Well, you guys are welcome any time,” she says, her voice heartfelt.

“Except for when you’re closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, I remember,” he reports.

“That’s true,” she says. And then another thought occurs to her. “Oh, you could come to our house! On days I’m not at the shop I always get Leo from school and we spend the evening at home. We make dinner and sometimes watch a movie.”

“Oh, that’s...that sounds great. We’d love to. Well, I’ll check with Celia to make sure but my vote is definitely yes,” he tells her. Then there’s a brief pause. “Are you sure, though? I don’t want to interrupt your solo evening with Leo if it’s just for you guys.”

“It will be great,” she insists. “I’ll check with Leo, too, but I’m sure he’ll like it. Does Celia like pizza? Because Leo’s been asking for a make-your-own-pizza night for a while and I think tomorrow’s the night.”

“Yes,” he says definitively. “The answer is definitely yes. I think you just sealed the deal, Tess.”

And so, it’s a date. They make arrangements that he’ll pick up Celia from school and then come to Tessa’s about an hour after that - discovering in the process that Celia and Leo both attend the same school, which delights Tessa further. She’s now surprised she hasn’t seen Scott at school pickup before, and makes a mental note to be more observant on the days she gets Leo from school.

Sure enough, Leo is more than excited about the idea of a Monday pizza party with a new friend. When Tessa tells him Scott’s daughter is a fan of some of his favourite books he immediately starts telling her the best parts of the latest book, and that morphs into details about he wants to make some changes to his monster-hunter Halloween costume. All in all, she’s glad it was a good call to make the invitation. She does remind Leo about how some kids are a little quieter on the outside than he is and to remember to let Celia make friends with him at her speed. He nods, because it’s a familiar conversation, but she can also see his wheels turning, already excited. 

Tessa’s hoping Leo and Celia will get along well, especially if the girl hasn’t made as many friends in town yet. But she’s looking forward to getting to know Scott a little more and have some more one-on-one time with him. And vice versa, hopefully - she’s felt a bit like she has an unfair advantage, having met him while reading for him and learning about the important recent events in his life. 

They show up right on time, smiles on both their faces. Celia’s carrying her little backpack and looks like she’s put on a fresh set of clothes just for the occasion, which charms Tessa completely. 

Leo’s right there next Tessa, somehow still full of beans even after a full day at school. “Hi, I’m Leo! My mom said you like the monster hunter books too,” he says, eager. 

Tessa laughs a little, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Sweetie, let’s let them come in and take their coats off first, okay? Then you both can go play.”

They step into the front hall, Celia close at Scott’s side and her hand in his. But the girl has that same wide-eyed, intrigued look on her face that Tessa remembers from Saturday, and that’s a good sign to her. She smiles at Celia and gives her a wave. “We’re happy to have you guys over.”

Minnie approaches then, too, winding herself around Tessa’s and then Leo’s ankles. She looks over at the new visitors, as though presenting herself for the welcoming committee too. 

Celia brightens, pointing at Minnie. “She does have a black cat!” she reports to Scott, half-whispered. 

Scott laughs. “She does. Maybe it’s a nice cat, too,” he says. 

“Oh, she is, once you get to know her a little. I know people make up all kinds of superstitions and nonsense about black cats. But you don’t need to worry about ours, I promise.” She looks at Leo, nodding for him to introduce the cat to Celia properly. She’s talked to him before about these ideas people have about black cats - always with her son concluding that ‘people are just dumb sometimes,’ and she can hardly argue with that logic.

“Minnie is the best cat in the whole world!” Leo explains, like it’s the most obvious thing. “She’d never be mean to _anybody_ ,” he says.

Tessa smiles, knowing that Minnie would absolutely never do anything mean to Leo, and since it would never occur to Leo to do something mean to anybody, by that logic he believes the same of his beloved cat. But she also knows that’s not entirely true - Minnie’s all but become Tessa’s screener whenever she’s brought home a gentleman caller. The men that ended up with a scratched hand upon trying to pet Minnie were the ones that never got a second invitation back.

“And anyway she isn’t even totally black, she has some white on her front paw, see?” Leo picks the cat up around her middle and holds up one of her front paws with one of his hands. Sure enough the others can see the little patch of white in between the pads of her toes. Minnie just cranes her head a little to sniff at Leo’s hand and then give it a couple of licks in approval. 

Celia lets go of Scott’s side and approaches Leo and Minnie, her hesitation fading away bit by bit. When she holds out a hand to gently pet Minnie, the cat sniffs her briefly but lets Celia pet her head and ears, closing her eyes in satisfaction. 

“See, she likes you. She can tell you’re nice,” Leo says. When he puts the cat down again she winds herself around Celia’s leg and the girl giggles and then pets her again.

“She’s a nice kitty,” Celia agrees.

Tessa just grins at them, then looks to Leo. “Honey why don’t you two go play, alright? We can have dinner in a little bit. You can show Celia all the important parts of the house,” she tells him with a wink.

“ _Yeah_ ,” Leo reacts, excited. “Come on, you can see my room! And the rec room and the library. _And_ we even have a secret passageway.”

Celia’s expression lights up, and she looks back at Scott for a second. 

Tessa also glances back at Scott, her voice low. “It’s what used to be the old servants’ staircase at the back of the house,” she murmurs, and he nods back knowingly. 

“Go on, sweetheart,” he says, patting his daughter on the shoulder. “Me and Tessa are going to hang out and chat. You guys can show me the secret passage a little later, okay?” He winks at Leo.

“Okay!” she says. Scott helps her out of her backpack and jacket, and Celia goes with Leo and they head off and up the stairs, Minnie trailing behind them. 

Tessa’s pleased to see Scott’s relaxed expression when they turn back to each other. 

“Well, that went well,” he tells her, looking happy, and a little surprised.

“She’s lovely, Scott, really. I think she and Leo will get along great.” 

“I hope so,” he answers. “He looks just like you, you know,” he tells her, clearly intended as a compliment.

Tessa happily accepts it. She likes hearing that. “I know, it’s the freckles. And the brown hair that won’t stay out of his eyes,” she says. She turns to lead him back into the house and he follows.

“And love of stories?” he asks. 

“That, too. But all of his energy is all his, I’m still never sure where it came from. He’s such a little extrovert some times.”

“Really, he seems like a great kid - no surprise there given he has such an awesome mom,” he says, a second compliment in as many minutes. “But yeah, I’d love it if Celia had some more new friends in the neighbourhood. And I know it means a lot that he’s a year older and in Grade Two, that’s huge, Tess.”

She laughs a little. “You’re right about that I think. Leo sometimes has trouble making friends his own age, too. A lot of the kids he spends time with are either a little older or a little younger. It’s like he either needs someone to stick up for, or someone to stick up for him,” she shrugs and lets out a sigh. 

They walk through the first floor into the kitchen that opens out into the big rustic dining room towards the rear of the house. There’s bright afternoon light coming in through the windows and Tessa feels a surge of pride being able to welcome Scott to her home on such an inviting day like this.

“Does he get teased?” Scott asks gently, bringing her solidly back to earth. 

Mentally, Tessa gives him some points for intuition. “Yes,” she says simply. “I’ve talked to his teachers and to the other parents...and to him,” she adds. “And it’s better than it used to be, but still. It’s hard being the child of someone who’s still the target of rumours.”

She pours them both coffee and he takes the mugs to the dining table while she gathers a small plate of cookies. “The worst was about two years ago, when I opened my second bookstore location out at the mall,” she explains. “No one expected me to have so much success with it right away - but I did. And both store locations are still thriving. But there are a lot of business owners struggling to stay open for more than a year at a time, and I think there must have been enough envy among some of them, and…” she lets out a breath. 

“Rumours started again,” he finishes for her. 

“Yes, they did. But there’s nothing occult about how I manage my business, I really am just good at it,” she says, coming to sit down with him at the table. “Plus there are still some kids who think not having two parents at home is cause for teasing, and that doesn’t help either.”

“I believe you,” Scott tells her, entirely genuine. “And I’m sorry,” he adds. “I know what that’s like. At least, about rumours. When I became Celia’s parent I could hardly function some days if I let myself think too hard about what everyone else was saying about me. Even if it was well-intended.”

They sit next to each other at one corner of the table, not unlike the way they’d sat together a few evenings ago when she’d read the cards for him. But this time there’s no cards, no bookshop. Just the two of them and some sunshine, and the occasional sound of young laughter drifting down from upstairs. 

“How long has she been your daughter?” Tess asks, taking a sip from her mug. She knows from their first conversation that she’s not his biologically, but any more than that is still a mystery to her. 

“Four and a half years,” Scott says without missing a beat. He reaches for a cookie and takes a bite. “Or at least, that’s when I became her guardian,” he adds. Tessa nods, just listening. He finishes the cookie and dusts his hands, letting one come to rest around his mug. “She’s the daughter of two very good friends of mine. They died in an accident when Celia was a year and a half old,” he explains, in a way that’s clear he’s done it many times before, but that it hasn’t gotten much easier to do. 

“Did they live around here?” she asks, knowing that he said he’d only just moved back here. 

He shakes his head. “No, they were in the States. Michigan,” he says. “We’d been friends for a long time and I’d just moved there to start a coaching job on their team. It was a year after that that they…” his voice trails off, and then he swallows. “They’d named me as Celia’s guardian in their will. And, the thing is I’d always known they’d done that - they’d asked me about it right after she was born. And of course I’d agreed. But it’s just the kind of thing that, until it happens…”

“You’re never sure if you’re ready for it or not?” she finishes for him.

“That pretty much sums it up,” he nods. “It was hard in the beginning. The whole first year, really. There were some days…” he shakes his head, and then he’s just quiet for a moment. “But eventually it got easier. We celebrated her second birthday, and then her third. She started calling me Daddy,” he tells her, his whole face and body seeming to light up when he says it. He shrugs, then. “And we’re a family, now,” he says simply. “She’s mine and I’m hers. And we will be officially, once the adoption paperwork goes through. Hopefully that’s any day now.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful, Scott. Truly. Anyone could see how much you love each other and belong together,” she tells him, her voice gentle. “I certainly can.”

“Thank you,” he says, his tone mirroring hers. “She’s the best part of my life, without a doubt. And I’m sure I could say the same about you and Leo. How long has it been just the two of you?” 

She lifts her eyebrows a little, appreciative of the way he’s asked the question. “Since he was born, actually,” she explains, taking another sip from her mug. 

“It sounds like there’s a story there,” Scott offers, taking another sip, too. 

“You could say that,” Tessa says, with some rueful laughter. “I _was_ married to Leo’s father, but we decided to separate not long before I found out I was pregnant,” she explains. 

His brow furrows a little, as though trying to work out what kind of circumstances would allow that to happen. “Was he involved with another woman?”

“Another man, as it happens.” She leans forward a little in her chair, resting both arms on the table. 

“Ah,” he answers. “Well, that would certainly do it, then.”

“Not to put too fine a point on it, but yes, it did.” She lets out a breath. “I’d been with Simon for a few years by then and I’d never thought anything like that would happen. Maybe he didn’t either, I’m not sure. But it was around when we were trying for Leo that he’d started to realize he wanted something different.”

“That must have been difficult to navigate for both of you,” he says simply. He leans forward in his seat, too, closer to her. 

“Yes, it was,” she says. “The truth is, in the end, I was glad he’d realized the truth about himself and what he wanted. He’s happier now, and it was right that we separated...and I still love him, in a different way. But it was also very hard for me knowing that I’d been with someone who’d been cheating on me. It was a very odd time.” She lets out a breath again. It’s been a while since she’s talked about this out loud with anyone, and it feels good to say these things so plainly. And to someone who seems to want to listen. When she glances back at Scott he has such a sympathetic expression on his face. “Does that make sense?” 

“Yes,” Scott answers clearly. “It does to me at least. If I was in your place I’d probably feel the same way. And I would never…” he pauses, taking a breath. “In all of my relationships, I’ve never been unfaithful to the person I was with. And I guess I forget that other people don’t always act that way, too.”

A fond smile comes over her face. “Thank you,” she says, her voice soft. “I appreciate you saying that.” And truth be told, it’s something she’s glad to know about him. 

“I can’t imagine anyone being with someone like you and changing their mind,” he says. “Someone as smart, and kind, and compassionate as you are.” He smiles back, and lets one hand come to rest on hers. 

She can feel herself blushing, in spite of herself. “How can you possibly know all of that about me?” she asks, her smile deepening even more as she says it. 

Scott shrugs a little, confident. “I have a good feeling,” he says simply, leaning in closer. “And my good feelings about people are usually right. Plus, I can’t imagine you’d have gotten as far as you have without being a pretty amazing person.” 

Tessa laughs, brushing her thumb over the back of his hand. She often brushes compliments away just out of modesty, but the way he’s saying these things make her feel so seen, in the best possible way. Like there’s no hiding from it. “Thank you,” she repeats. “I didn’t plan for everything that’s happened, but in the end it’s all worked out pretty well.” 

They’re just quiet for another moment, holding hands in the sunlight. “Does Leo see his father at all?” Scott asks eventually.

“A few times a year,” she nods. “He lives in Vancouver now, he and his new husband. So it’s a longer trip to get Leo out there, but we make it work at least once in the summer and over the winter holidays.” Her smile fades again as she thinks a little more. “Sometimes I’m not sure how Leo makes sense of it...how he has a father who’s alive and we both love him, but he lives so far away and belongs to someone else besides us.” 

“I know what you mean,” he says, a distant look in his eyes. “Celia doesn’t have a lot of extended family. Biological family, I mean - it’s part of the reason why I was named as her guardian,” he explains. “But she does still have a biological grandmother who lives in the States, and we see her a couple of times a year, too.”

“You didn’t want to stay there?” Tessa asks. “You had a career there, you could have made your own little family unit there, too,” she offers.

“It’s true, we could have. And it probably would have been okay,” he says, like he’s thought about it a lot. “But it felt right to come back here. I’d always thought somehow that when it came time to start my own family, I’d do it here at home. So I decided to move us here. It seemed like good timing, with Celia starting Grade One, and the opportunity at the skating club came up, and…” he lifts both hands as though gesturing around at everything. “The rest is history,” he explains. 

“It is indeed,” she answers warmly. “I’m so glad to have met you - both of you. And I hope we’ll see more of each other,” she says, feeling quite comfortable with more honesty just then. 

“Good,” he says. “Me too.”

Her smile returns just as his does. And this time she’s the one to bring her hand on top of his, her fingers fitting so easily on top of his. 

For a moment they stay just like that, looking into each other’s eyes and feeling their fingers entwined with the other’s. Then she feels herself licking her lips almost on reflex, her gaze flickering over all of his features, lingering on his mouth. She leans in closer towards him, almost like she’s being gently pulled that way. And he’s leaning in, too, like he’s going to meet her in the middle. Her lips are close enough to his she can almost feel the kiss before they get there. And then--

“Mom!” She hears Leo before they see him, running down the stairs and into the dining room with Celia just behind him.

Tessa and Scott spring apart, both of them pink-cheeked and a little breathless.

“Yes, honey? Are you guys having a good time?”

“Yeah! We’re going to fight monsters in the secret passage, now,” he explains, like it’s obvious. Behind him Celia has an excited expression on her face, and it’s then Tessa notices she’s wearing one of Leo’s capes from the costume trunk, and Leo also has a cape on as well as his pirate hat. Tessa laughs a little, delighted.

Scott gives them both a salute. “Do you need more reinforcements?” he asks, holding out a hand to Celia, who comes over to his side.

Celia nods, too. “Can we have a cookie first?” she asks, looking hopefully at the plate on the table. 

Scott exchanges a quick glance with Tessa before picking up the plate. “I think that sounds like a good idea, better build up your energy before going monster-hunting,” he says. Celia and Leo each take one. 

A moment later she stands with Scott. She looks at the clock and realizes that before too long they’re going to need the pizza-making setup to be ready in the kitchen. “You guys go explore, and by the time you’re done I will have dinner prep almost ready,” she says.

“Are you sure? Would you like some help with…” he pauses, looking at her in much the same way she was looking at him a moment ago. “...with anything?”

“It’s very tempting,” she allows, her voice lowering. “But it can wait until after dinner.”

“Okay. Good,” he answers, relieved and glad. The sun catches his cheek in just the right way when he smiles at her this time, and it’s all she can do not to kiss him right then. 

But first, they have monsters to fight. 

*

Dinner turns out to be a big hit. Tessa sets out a bunch of toppings and lets everyone choose what they like. Celia thinks very carefully about hers, eventually taking great care placing her mushrooms and pepperoni on top of the cheese and sauce. Tessa then notices Leo adding mushrooms to his pizza too, even though he doesn’t usually choose them. She can’t help ruffling her hand through his hair a moment later after they’ve put everything in the oven, pleased at how well he’s making friends with Scott’s daughter. 

They eat dinner together at the big table, and this time Leo insists on sitting with Scott and Celia next to Tessa. They talk the whole time, in between big bites of cheesy pizza. Tessa just enjoys the whole thing, realizing it’s been a little while since dinner time at her house was this animated. She makes a mental note to correct that. 

Afterwards they put on a movie in the living room. The kids pile onto the couch and Scott and Tessa sit on either side of them, next to their kids. Celia nestles close to Scott, and after a little while Leo does the same with Tessa. She holds one arm around him briefly, and then shifts so her hand is resting beside him, in the small space on the couch. Minnie jumps up and settles herself on Celia's lap, and it's just about perfect.

Before too long Tessa feels Scott’s hand on top of hers. They turn and look at each other, then, their gazes fixed over the heads of their children. She feels the warmth in his expression and lets herself hope for so many things. 

*

It’s when she and Scott are washing up a short while later that something else occurs to her. Tessa thinks about how lovely Celia is, and how glad she is that Leo has a new friend close to his own age, and how Scott had talked about how long it had taken his daughter to feel settled in their new home here and overcome her shyness. She thinks about how much she already feels for Scott and how she already feels so drawn to him, even though she’s only known him a few days. And she thinks about how easily she could see herself being with him, maybe even making a life with him...and how amazing and strange and even terrifying that is. 

Tessa looks at him, standing next to her and drying off pots and pans with a dish towel with such practice and care, and smiles to herself, deciding something. 

“Scott,” she starts, and even she can feel the shift of tone in her voice. Her hands are still covered in soap suds, halfway to reaching back into the kitchen sink. 

He looks up, a little startled like he’s not sure what she’s about to say but that it’s clearly very important. “Yeah?” He puts the pan down on the counter and drops the towel on top of it, turning to face her. 

“Scott, no matter what you and me…” Tessa starts, pausing when she wonders if she’s already being too presumptive. But she doesn’t think she is. “You and your daughter are welcome here anytime,” she tells him, as sincerely and gently as she can. “I know how important she is to you and I know how important Leo is to me, and if she and Leo want to be friends and play together, that’s a wonderful thing and I won’t do anything to get in the way of that,” she gets out, her words running together as she just tries to get them out like it’s her only shot at it. “She’s always welcome here, whenever she wants,” she insists again. 

He’s smiling by the time she finishes her words, and seems to understand why she’s said it. “That means a lot to me, Tess, thank you,” he says, resting a hand on her arm. “And, I’d love to return the favour. You and Leo are welcome in my home, too. In fact...Well I’d thought about asking you guys over this week, but it turns out you beat me to it,” he tells her, laughing a little. 

“Oh!” she exclaims. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.”

He’s already shaking his head. “It’s okay, it’s completely okay. You guys can come over another time. Maybe trick-or-treating on Thursday, even? We’re not too far from you guys, we can join forces,” he offers. 

“Yes, that’s a wonderful idea. I’ll ask Leo tomorrow,” she says. She turns her head to see if she can glance into the living room and would lay bets that both kids have nodded off by now. 

“Great. I’ll do the same. I know she’ll love it.” He swallows, thinking about something else. 

“What is it?” she asks, turning a little more so she’s properly facing him, too. 

“I feel the same way about Leo and Celia being friends, and I’m so glad to know she has you guys, even if nothing happens between you and me,” he starts. He’s standing so close to her now, so that she can feel his breath on her cheek. “But I just want to say I would really love it if something happens between you and me,” he says, and she feels a rush of warmth run through her as he does. 

“So would I,” she breathes out, and then she’s not sure who moves first but then they’re finally kissing. She presses her lips against his and it’s soft and comforting and wonderful. But just as quickly it becomes something more than that. She parts her lips and runs her tongue along his, and then his mouth opens to her.

She kisses him for a long moment before finally coming up for air, and when she looks back at him he looks just as dazed as she feels - but also like he wishes they hadn’t stopped kissing. So then she doesn’t. She wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him again, even more deeply, until she can feel his arms wrapping around her, too. 

As she does she feels something shift inside her, so many feelings and impulses and desires rising inside her all at once. But when they part again, both breathless, she discovers it’s more than that. She runs her hand along his face, looking into his eyes deeply enough to realize she’s looking not just at him but at her whole future. 

Tessa can see into the rest of that week - Halloween night spent trick-or-treating, ending up at Scott’s house afterwards, her entwined in his arms on his back porch while the kids count candy and watch movies in his living room; To two nights after that, when Leo’s gone for a sleepover at his grandmother’s house and Celia’s done the same - and Tessa takes Scott to her bed for the first time...and then a second, and a third; To the next week, and the next and the next, until it’s a year later and she’s standing next to him in front of all their friends and family, promising to cherish each other as long as they live; And then to another year later, when they’ll welcome a new child into their world - one they make together, knitting their families together in an entirely new way.

It’s almost blinding, enough to make her knees weaken. It’s been so long since she gave in to that sight, to let herself see what could happen - what _will_ happen - if only she lets herself have it. She’s even more grateful he’s holding her so closely. His arms are still wrapped tightly around her, like he doesn’t ever want to let her go. 

She wonders if Scott sees any of this too, as he gazes back at her. She can’t quite figure out what to say next, amidst everything she’s feeling. But he does.

“Wow,” he breathes out, running one hand along her cheek. 

“Yes,” she agrees. “Wow.” It’s been quite a week for that word, but that it’s no less appropriate. 

“Tess, I...I hope it’s not wrong to say this,” Scott says, his hands resting firmly at her waist now. “But ever since I met you I’ve had the strangest feeling,” he tells her, and she feels another thrill move through her. “It’s felt like there was another reason I went into your bookstore last week. It felt like I was just _supposed_ to be there, you know? It felt so right. And I thought it was because I was meant to find those books but then I saw you again and I realized...it was _you_ ,” he says, so elated. Like he’s so glad to finally tell her this. “I know you and I were meant to meet. It feels like it wasn’t just the cards, but something more than that. I don’t…” he shrugs a little, looking for the right words. 

“I know exactly what you mean,” Tessa says, feeling so happy and amazed. “Because I feel the same way. Ever since last week I’ve felt like that. I just...I guess I wondered too if that was strange.” She brings both hands to frame his face, then. “But it isn’t strange at all, is it?”

“No,” Scott agrees. “It’s the least strange thing I’ve felt in a while, in fact.”

“Maybe I should have known,” Tessa wonders out loud. She runs one hand along his forehead, brushing at the hair that’s fallen forward, along the furrowed lines on his brow that are now relaxing again. “When you walked into my shop that night, I should have known it wasn’t going to be like any other time.”

“Either way, I’m glad I did,” he tells her, his voice half-whispered. “So, so glad.”

She leans in then and kisses him again. This time it’s much more tender and slow, an affirmation more than a feverish embrace. 

There’s so much else she wants to tell him, so much she suddenly feels ready to rush into. But for now she contents herself with this moment in his arms, kissing him like it’s the first time but no less like he’s the last man she’ll kiss for the rest of her life. Because she knows now without a doubt that that’s who he is to her. 

After all, her cards have never been wrong. 

*


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott and Celia get to know Tessa and Leo a little better. And Scott learns a lot more about Tessa than he ever expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody! I hope you're staying safe, healthy, and as rested as possible.
> 
> In my mind this is how far I wanted to go with the original installment, and also writing this over the last couple of months has really helped give my brain something fun to focus on. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Thank you to iwantthemtostay and peacefulboo for reading through this!
> 
> <3

*

When Scott brought Celia over to Tessa and Leo’s house that evening he’d hoped that his daughter would have a nice time and maybe make a new friend. And he’d certainly hoped that he and Tessa would also get to know each other better. He’d hadn’t fully imagined that all of that and more would come true, with the addition that he would finish the evening with Tessa in his arms, standing adoringly in the middle of her kitchen, breathless declarations about destiny swirling in the air between them. 

Eventually they let themselves pull away from each other, allowing reality to take over. He doesn’t want to stop kissing her, and from the way she’s looking at him he can tell she doesn’t want to stop either. But the evening has gone on long enough, and he has to get his daughter home to bed. He’s guessing it’s well past Leo’s bedtime, too. 

“Halloween night, right? I’ll see you then?”

“Count on it,” she answers, still a little breathless. 

He takes Tessa’s hand in his as they move through the kitchen, then parts from her gently as they step into the living room. Both Celia and Leo have fallen asleep on the sofa, just as he’d suspected might happen. They’re laid out on either end of the sofa, Minnie the cat curled up in the crook of Celia’s legs. 

“Aw,” he hears Tessa whisper beside him. “They’re good friends, now,” she says.

“Yeah,” Scott answers softly. He thinks she could mean the cat and Celia, or Leo and Celia, or all of the above. Either way he’s trying hard not to feel overwhelmed by all this evening has brought him and his little family. And the week is only just getting started. “I hate to break up the party,” he whispers back. 

Scott steps forward, comforted by the certainty that more evenings like this will wait for them. He reaches towards Celia but then first moves to scratch Minnie’s soft head. “We’ll be back, Min, I promise,” he tells her quietly. The cat blinks at him lazily, allowing him to part her from her new companion. And then he finally puts his arms around his daughter, drawing her to him and allowing him to settle against him. Strictly speaking at six years old she’s getting too grown up for him to carry her like this anymore, but she’s slight enough that he can still fit her in his arms. And he always takes comfort in the way she cuddles herself against him in moments like this.

When he stands he feels her bringing her hands up to his shoulders, turning her head towards Tessa. Tessa’s attention is already focussed on the girl, and she smiles back at her. “Thank you for coming, Celia. We’ll see you again soon okay?”

Scott swears he can feel Celia’s shy smile against his shoulder, and she waves back at Tessa who’s already doing the same. “Nite nite,” she says simply. But it’s enough to make Tessa smile even more. 

Tessa leads them out through the house and opens the front door for him. She grabs the little purple backpack and green jacket hanging by the door and he manages to grab them with one hand, even as he adjusts his hold on his daughter. And then he notices Tessa hesitating a little, even as she leans closer to bid him goodbye. He finishes the job for her, leaning closer as much as possible and letting his lips meet hers quickly. 

“Thank you,” he tells her, the simplicity of his words feeling woefully inadequate for everything he’s feeling.

But she nods back. “Thank  _ you _ ,” she insists. “I’m looking forward to Halloween.” For a moment it seems like she wants to say something else, but she just lets out a breath, the same smile as before returning to her face. 

Finally he steps over the threshold and out into the cool evening. He manages to locate his keychain with one hand to unlock the car, and as he turns to open the door he sees Tessa in the doorway, her silhouette lit by the warm light of her home. She waves back to him once more and he does the same back.

When he opens the car door he feels Celia stirring again in his arms, probably from the cool air. He gets her settled in her spot in the back seat and lets her wrap her jacket around her like a blanket. 

“It was a fun time, huh, Cee?” he asks, getting her buckled in. 

“Yeah,” she answers. “Can Leo come trick-or-treating with us, Daddy?” she asks, her voice faintly pleading even as she’s halfway to sleep.

He laughs a little, not entirely surprised and she and Leo were also making that same plan. “Of course, Cee. We’ll all go together,” he reassures her.

“And can we get a cat too?” She clutches at the jacket, holding it just under her chin. 

Scott laughs again, this time not surprised at all. “You want a black kitty like Leo and Tessa’s?” He brushes her hair away from her face where it’s become mussed. 

Celia shakes her head, blinking a little. “Only witches have black cats, Daddy,” she says easily, like he should just know this.

“Oh, okay,” he nods, holding back his amusement. He makes a guess at the role a cat should play in his daughter’s home. “What kind should we get, then? For...fighting monsters and dragons?”

“Dragon hunters have orange kitties,” she answers easily, just before resting her head and closing her eyes again. 

“Okay then,” he says, and kisses her forehead.

As he gets himself settled in the driver’s seat a moment later he checks to see Tessa still waiting to see them off, her door slightly ajar but open just enough to let him see her. 

He drives away a moment later, the thoughts in his mind spilling out into more paths than he can keep track of - paths leading to slaying more monsters, and orange and black cats. And what it would feel like to fill a home with more warm meals shared with an even larger family than he’d let himself dream of. 

*

Halloween comes two days later. It’s two days during which Celia talks almost nonstop about her costume, about when the trick-or-treating starts, and when they get to go play with Leo and Tessa again. Scott keeps up with her as well as he can, amazed at how much more animated his daughter has become in the last week. 

Celia even asks to change her costume to a witch, which surprises him - last week she’d been very clearly decided on being a pirate, and he’d prepared costumes for both of them accordingly. He pushes her just enough to make sure that it’s what she wants, knowing how set she’d been on her choice before. But of course he relents, and when he calls his mother five minutes later Alma just laughs knowingly, and promises she’ll find the right dress and hat in short order. He wonders to himself if Celia will change her request for an orange cat to a black cat, too. 

Really, Scott’s happy just watching Celia be happy. He knows a lot of this new bubbly side of her can be attributed to her feeling more settled in here, and even just to being a six-year-old discovering so many new things. But he also knows he owes a lot of it to Tessa and her son, and how much excitement and connection they’ve brought to both of their lives.

And if he’s being honest, he shares much of that same energy with Celia. He, too, can hardly wait until he gets to see Tessa again. Since their last evening together Scott’s time has been filled with meetings and training at the arena, and school drop-offs and pick-ups, not to mention a late night costume upgrade session after Celia’s gone to sleep. 

It’s just before he’s headed off to bed himself, the night before Halloween, when he gets a text message from Tessa - one of several they’ve exchanged already.

_ ‘I don’t know how I forgot to mention this before, but I’ve been instructed to make sure Celia has an invitation to Leo’s birthday party on Saturday’ _

He grins immediately. Faintly he remembers Tessa mentioning something about Leo’s birthday being just after Halloween but he hadn’t realized it was quite that soon. He wonders if Saturday is the actual day or if it’s just the most convenient time to have the party.

_ ‘I’ll make sure to ask her tomorrow but I’m pretty sure that’s a ‘yes,’’ _ he answers back. 

_ ‘I’m so glad,’ _ is her reply right away.  _ ‘Please don’t worry about gifts,’ _ she adds, and before Scott can protest even a little she explains.  _ ‘His best birthday presents are always the games and cake and friends.’ _

Scott smiles again, understanding.  _ ‘Roger that,’ _ he types back.  _ ‘I can definitely promise excitement about games and cake.’ _

_ ‘Then I can promise lots of both of those. And we’ll see you tomorrow at 6?’ _

_ ‘We’ll be there.’ _ He looks over at the table where Celia’s costume is all laid out. And his own pirate costume is hanging in the hallway closet, still ready to go for a second year in a row. A thought occurs to him then and he adds, _ ‘Afterparty at my place, if you want to. We’ve got comfy sofas and movies and lots of space to count candy.’ _

_ ‘We wouldn’t miss it.’ _

He smiles, and taps out a goodnight message before signing off for the evening. As he starts picking up the living room and then turning out lights, he thinks to himself how easy her answer was - how it’s almost like she was expecting it to happen. 

*

After school the next evening it’s all Scott can do to keep Celia from bouncing off the walls until it’s time to meet Tessa and Leo for trick-or-treating. 

“But Daddy, you said I had to eat at  _ least _ half my sandwich and three carrot sticks before trick or treating and I ate a  _ whole _ three _ quarters _ of my sandwich and  _ four _ carrot sticks,” she explains to him insistently. She’s still sitting in her chair at the kitchen table, hands grasping at the edge of the table, her legs squirming as her toes touch the floor. But she’s still technically at the table and still technically in her chair, he observes. 

He lets out a sigh, looking at his watch. Charlie’s due to arrive any minute now, to take over handing out candy while Scott heads out with the kids. And then they’re meant to meet Tessa and Leo two blocks over at six o’clock sharp. 

“Okay, Uncle Charlie will be here really soon, so why don’t you go get your-” He stops short as Celia instantly jumps up and makes a beeline for the living room, where the rest of her costume and candy bucket are waiting. “--your shoes on and your hat, okay?” He just shakes his head and lets it happen. Today and Christmas are the bounciest days of the year for her, and he can’t bring himself to dampen it with the usual rules about dinner cleanup. 

Scott tidies up the kitchen quickly and by the time he’s finished Celia has returned to hover around him, fully dressed in her costume and holding her pumpkin candy bucket. She’s asking him something about Tessa and Leo and if Tessa’s going to wear a costume too, when he hears the door open and Charlie’s voice.

“Heya, campers,” Charlie says in greeting. He’s brought his daughter Isabelle along to join the trick-or-treating. She’s a year and a half older than Celia but they’ve played together a couple of times in the last few months, and Scott hopes they’ll be good friends. But she spends every other weekend with her mother and stepfather, and so they manage the best they can.

“Hey, Izzy, looking good!” Scott admires the blue and purple princess costume that he knows took a lot of time to put together. He offers her a high-five and she gives it back, smiling underneath her long brown bangs. “You got your trick-or-treating shoes on?”

“Yes!” she answers right away, lifting her feet to reveal sparkly silver sneakers underneath the gauzy dress. Like Celia, she’s got a warm pair of leggings underneath her costume, along with what looks like a sweatshirt. 

“ _ Awesome _ ,” he says genuinely. “You and Cee both have great taste.” 

Celia sticks out her foot too, revealing similar sneakers in purple. “Gramma said witches can wear whatever sparkles they want,” she says importantly. Izzy agrees and the two girls huddle closer, comparing costumes and candy preferences.

Charlie sets down his jacket over the back of a nearby chair and Scott claps him in a quick hug. “Thanks for doing this, man, I’m glad to get to take Cee out for her first Halloween here.”

“Hey, no problem, it’s the easiest gig in the world. You’re the one who’s going to be tired out after trekking across the neighbourhood,” he says, holding his hands up. “Meanwhile I get to give out candy and warm up the cider for later.”

Scott laughs. “Yeah, but it’s still a good favour. Nice costume, by the way,” he adds wryly, as Charlie places a cowboy hat on his head. It goes well with the jeans and boots he has on like any other day.

Charlie grins, and nods his head over towards the girls. “Hey, I thought Cee was going as that adventure girl from that book series. That was all she wanted to talk about last week.”

“Yeah, I was surprised too. But I guess the witch costume was more appealing at the last minute, so. And you know how much mom loves getting to put together stuff like that,” he explains. 

“Yeah,” Charlie agrees. He waits a beat before turning a vaguely conspiratorial glance towards Scott. “It wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with your new friend down at that bookstore, would it?”

Scott’s eyes widen just a little. “You heard about that?”

“Man, you know Mom can’t keep any secrets,” he half-laughs. “Anyway, it’s nice, is all I mean. That you guys are hitting it off.”

“We might be,” Scott agrees. He notices the girls starting to get antsy so he reaches into the closet for his jacket and shrugs it on, and then quickly adds the cloak and hat that form his pirate costume. “We’re meeting up with her and her son now, you might see them with us later.”

It’s Charlie’s turn to widen his eyes, genuinely delighted. “Awesome. Well, I’m extra glad I’ll be here then.” He slaps his hand on Scott’s shoulder. “Go, have fun with the kids. I’ll hold down the fort.”

“Will do, man. Will do,” he says with a smile. 

He takes one of the girls’ hands in each of his, and they walk out to start their Halloween night.

Seeing Tessa’s expression when they meet her and Leo at their trick-or-treating rendezvous point a few minutes later is almost enough to make all of Celia’s costume changes worth it right then and there. Tessa takes in Celia’s black pointed hat and cloak with glittery stars across the collar and hem, and just grins from ear to ear. She’s wearing a long black dress and simple black witches’ hat, too.

“Well hello there! I see I’m not the only witch in our party tonight,” she says, without any hint of irony or hesitation. Next to her Leo’s smiling too, looking at Scott’s pirate outfit with approval, as is Leo’s young friend who’s come along, too, sporting what looks like a superhero costume of some kind. Both Celia and Izzy are smiling eagerly, and Scott’s pretty sure he has the same expression on his face when he looks back at Tessa.

This Halloween is going to be fantastic.

*

It’s not like he’d  _ purposefully _ encouraged their trick-or-treating party to end up at his place so that he’d have another chance at some time alone with Tessa. And Charlie really  _ did _ come over to hand out candy, not just to hang out with the kids in the living room while they put on a movie and admire their haul of treats. Well, actually that last one Scott’s not so sure about, now that he thinks about it. 

In any case, it was definitely a good sign when, within fifteen minutes of getting back to Scott’s house, all of the kids were settled into the living room ready to hang on Charlie’s every word about why The Princess Bride actually is the best movie in the entire world. Half of the kids’ costume layers had been discarded in favour of their comfy sweats underneath, and he and Tessa had managed to talk them into putting aside a smaller pile of candy just for tonight, and save the rest for later on in the week. 

“I’ll refill the popcorn, okay guys?” Scott says, grabbing the mostly empty bowl from its spot in the middle of the floor. He gets a vague nod from Izzy and Leo, but the others are staring rapt at the movie on the screen. 

“But he has a sword. When does he do the sword fighting?” Asks Leo’s young friend - Owen, his name is - watching Westley navigate the battles on screen. He’d started out a little shy, not unlike Celia. But also not unlike Celia, he’d gotten more and more excited as the trick-or-treating had gone on, and now all four of them have bonded like they’ve been best friends the whole time. 

“Soon, bud,” Charlie answers from his spot on the couch. He’s got Izzy cozied up next to him, and Celia next to her. But he’s leaning forward like he’s ready to jump in with any of the kids if they need something, like he’s everyone’s uncle and not just Celia’s. 

Scott’s standing stalled in his tracks, but is nudged out of it by Tessa appearing at his side. “Hey, I’ll help you with that,” she says, taking the popcorn bowl from his hands. “Show me your kitchen?”

“Oh, yeah, sure thing,” he answers, not sure why he’s suddenly feeling like a visitor in his own home. “Let’s get the refill started.”

He walks with Tessa into the kitchen, giving her elbow a quick squeeze.

“This has been a really fun Halloween,” he tells her, not for the first time. “I’m really glad Cee’s having such a good time.” 

“Leo’s had a great night too, I can tell for sure,” she says, pleased. “Last year it was just him and Owen together, he loves having a bigger group.”

Scott nods, reaching into one of the cabinets and pulls out the box of microwave popcorn. “I don’t know how Cee’s going to get to sleep after all that sugar, but…” he laughs and just shrugs. “But it’s one of the most energetic days of the year for her. She’d visit every house in town if I let her, I think.” He knows it’s mostly because of the candy - Scott tries not to be too liberal with sugary treats during the week, and Halloween is the big shining exception - but he thinks she gets just as excited seeing so many people dressed up in costume, being spooky and playing pretend. 

Tessa laughs then, almost a mimic of his. “I know, it’s wild how they do this. But last year Leo did the same thing and he crashed so hard, later. Amazingly, he was fine the next day.” She sets down the popcorn bowl and looks at her watch. “Probably the bigger question will be whether I’ll get him home before that happens,” she adds, looking like she’s thinking about it. Then she looks back at him, like she doesn’t want him to worry. “My sister’s going to come get us all in an hour or so. And Owen’s going to sleep over at our place, I worked it out with his mom.”

“That’s fine, Tess,” he says, reaching for her arm again. “We’re glad to have your company for a little longer.” He takes out a popcorn packet and starts it going in the microwave. Then he’s back next to her, leaning against the counter. “Well, I know  _ I _ certainly am,” he adds, smiling. 

“I am too,” she answers gently. She’s shifted closer to him, leaning the same way he is. Her expression is so easy and content. He spares a brief glance towards the living room as though checking in case he’s needed. But all signs point to a happy group over there, too, so he’s just fine right where he is. 

When he turns to look at her again he can’t help letting himself admire her. In the handful of times they’ve spent together he’s been so taken by her - by everything about her. That first evening at the bookstore when she’d read the cards for him she’d been so patient and compassionate, but still not shying away from telling him the truth of what she saw. And the more he’s gotten to know her he’s seen how very real that first impression was - she’s such an amazing person. 

And she might also be the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. The way they’re standing now he can see the details of the freckles peeking out across her skin, and the tint of pink in her cheeks. Her eyes are the clearest, most vibrant green. Eyes that are looking back into his with no hint of worry or hesitation.

She’s close enough that it wouldn’t take much for him to duck his head just a little, and kiss her. So then, he does. It’s a gentle, affirming kiss, one he’s wanted to give her all evening. Her lips are soft under his, pressing back with equal insistence. Eventually he breaks the kiss just long enough to shift closer and adjust his angle a little, and then he’s kissing her again. One of his hands reaches towards her, finding the slender curve of her waist and holding her close. He can feel her hand touching his cheek, then running along his face to cup his chin. 

When they part this time they both take in a proper breath. Her fingertips run gently along his shoulder before coming to rest on his chest. She’s smiling, wordless, but clearly happy. He is too, and can’t promise he doesn’t resemble a lovestruck teenager right now. 

The microwave beeps, then, startling them. Then they both laugh at the same time, giggling together. 

“Here let me get that,” Charlie says, appearing suddenly from the living room. “What’s taking you guys so long in here?” It’s a completely rhetorical question, though, a fact made more obvious when Charlie winks at Tessa on his way to grabbing the empty popcorn bowl. 

Scott eyes him knowingly. “Hey, the directions say three minutes, you think we can magically make time speed up?” He’s staring back at his brother but at the side of his vision still catches Tessa stifling a laugh. 

“Ah, details, details,” Charlie answers. He grabs the popped popcorn bag and swiftly tears into it, emptying it into the bowl. “Anyway, I got this fort held down. Tess, you should get Scotty here to give you a tour of the rest of the place,” he tells her. “Maybe check out the back deck.” He delivers this last suggestion with a pointed glance at Scott.

“Charlie, it is maybe six degrees out there, tops,” Scott says, holding back rolling his eyes. 

His brother just shrugs. “You got the fire chimney out there. And some blankets.” He winks at Tessa again, and lifts an eyebrow at Scott. “Catch you guys in a bit!” He tosses some popcorn in his mouth as he turns to head back to the living room, parading the full bowl back to the kids like a hard won trophy. He’s met with cheers and more excited chatter. Scott just shakes his head and laughs to himself.

And then...well. It’s certainly not as though Scott had  _ intended _ to end the evening alone with Tessa on his back porch, wrapped in each other’s arms with their lips pressed against each other’s as though they were picking up directly where they’d left off two nights ago. But he’s not upset about it, either. It turns out to be a very, very good evening indeed.

*

The next morning starts out a little slower and rougher, much to Scott’s chagrin but not at all to his surprise. He’d gotten Celia to bed without too much trouble the night before - by the time all their guests had left she was mostly asleep on the couch anyway, having been determined to try to make it all the way to the end of the movie. And she’s slept soundly all night. But she’d started the morning sluggish and cranky, the after effects of too much candy and over-stimulation. And maybe, he thinks, a fairly justified feeling of being let down that Halloween only lasts one day.

On that front, he can definitely sympathize with his daughter. He feels like he’d gotten more than his fair share of the ‘treat’ side of the deal. Charlie had clearly done his level best to get Scott and Tessa a bit of time together, and Scott’s going to have to find a way to repay that favour sometime. He’s been out of the dating game for long enough that he’d forgotten what it was like to be feeling all of the things someone feels at the beginning of a relationship - the thrill of falling for another person, being able to give his care and affection to them as two adults with hopes and wants of their own - but also still being a dad at the same time. He wonders if there’s some kind of self-help instructions for single parents falling for each other.

Getting Celia dressed for school proves to be more of a battle than usual. She picks out her clothes easily but then insists on wearing her witch costume again. “But Daddy I only got to wear it  _ one time _ ,” she points out, as though it’s no different from any other new outfit.

“Maybe you can wear it to Grandma’s on the weekend, huh, Cee? She’d love to see you in it.” He knows his mother was offering to have Celia for a sleepover some time on the weekend, but it’s still only Thursday and that’s pretty much forever in Celia terms.

“ _ No _ , Daddy, I want to wear it  _ today. _ ” 

Eventually Scott relents, recognizing the stubbornness settling in across her face. Although he manages to keep her from wearing the hat - it had gotten dirty anyway after falling on the ground a couple of times towards the end of the night. And then once she gets to dress how she wants it’s that much easier for him to get her hair brushed and help pack her lunch. When he drops her off at school he catches Miss Klein, Celia’s teacher near the entrance and mentions the costume and she nods understandingly, seemingly unconcerned. 

He spends the rest of the day trying to focus on work, but keeps checking his phone at too-frequent intervals, wondering if Celia’s having any struggles at school. And truth be told he’s also keeping up a steady stream of messages with Tessa, though he also can’t help feeling a little guilty about that. Maybe if the two of them hadn’t been...distracted last night he’d have gotten Celia to bed sooner and she wouldn’t be so grumpy today. 

When he arrives at the school at the end of the afternoon he discovers Celia wearing only her regular clothes and her backpack, her brow furrowed. But Leo’s there too, waiting calmly with his backpack slung over one shoulder like they’ve been standing together for a little while. They both take notice of Scott at the same time and Celia turns and waves goodbye to Leo - he does the same to her - and then makes a beeline for Scott. Scott gives Leo a mock salute and a smile and Leo does the same, grinning. 

“Hey, Cee,” he greets his daughter, cautiously hopeful. “Did you have a good day today?” He can see the purple glitter of her costume peeking out from inside her backpack, when he takes it from her. It’s good to see she hasn’t lost it, at least.

“It was okay,” she answers. They walk together to the car and she jumps into her normal seat in the back. 

“You didn’t want to keep wearing your costume?” He reaches over to place her backpack on the seat next to her.

“Nobody else had theirs on,” she answers, shaking her head and sounding defeated enough that it makes his heart sink a little. He’d tried to tell her that this morning.

“Yeah, I guess so,” he says, not sure how to make this feel easier. “It’s hard that Halloween is only one day, isn't it? Did you hang out with Leo some more?”

She nods quickly, seeming to brighten a little. “Yeah. He said I could wear my costume to his party. Can I Daddy?”

“That’s a great idea, of course you can wear it then, sweetheart,” he answers, very relieved and now wishing he’d thought of that suggestion. And also feeling very glad she and Leo are still buddies. He realizes too that amidst all the hustle yesterday he can’t remember if he told Celia she was invited to the party on Saturday afternoon. 

Celia starts buckling herself in, and Scott closes the door and comes around to the driver’s seat. As he’s getting himself settled too, Celia tells him more. “Leo says it was the same last year, he wore his costume to school too and nobody else did.” Her voice has that quiet, concerned tone like she’s trying to explain something important.

“Oh, is that right?” He looks at her in the rear view mirror.

“Yeah. He said he got teased and then his mom talked to the teacher after.”

Scott turns around, making sure he’s looking at Celia. He’s had a few chats with Celia’s teacher too, as she’s been settling in here. But so far he didn’t think she’d had to deal with teasing. If that’s what’s happening now with his daughter then he needs to have a teacher meeting about it, too.

“And it was better after that?” he asks. 

Celia nods. “Yeah.” She kicks her feet a little in the seat.

“Should I maybe talk to Miss Klein tomorrow too, Cee?”

She shakes her head, brow furrowed again. “That was Leo, Daddy, not  _ me _ ,” she explains.

Scott smiles, relieved and reassured at her insistence. He squeezes her little foot, still with the sparkly purple sneakers. “Okay then. Well, you’ll tell me if I need to talk to the teacher about anything, though, right, hon?”

Celia nods, like it’s so obvious. 

“Okay then,” Scott repeats. He turns and starts the car, exhaling like he’s just run a mile. “On the way home you can think about what you feel like having for dinner, sweetheart.”

She spends the ten-minute drive taking the question very seriously, but they eventually decide on spaghetti and garlic bread. And Celia lets Scott share her Halloween candy for dessert. 

*

Saturday comes quickly, along with Leo’s birthday party. Celia seems a little shy about it that day, wondering who else will be there and if Leo’s other friends will be nice to play with. They talk about it and she feels reassured again when he reminds her about how much fun they had trick-or-treating, and how it was a costume party too. Then when they arrive she’s only at his side for a minute before joining in with the rest of the group - many of whom are also dressed in costumes.

He notices Tessa is on her own and offers to stick around for the rest of the party, which she accepts, gratefully. Her sister had been called into work at the last minute not long before the party started, leaving her short-handed. And while Scott fully believes that if anyone could handle a kids’ birthday party solo it would be Tessa, Scott’s more than happy to help out. 

He leans into the role of game keeper and before he knows it he has a captive group of children between five and nine years old all playing hide and seek, then duck-duck-goose, then he starts improvising guessing games with the kids all trying to figure out what fictional character name is taped to their back. Leo is having an awesome time, as far as he can tell. And while Celia isn’t as chatty as some of the others, she is grinning and giggling almost non-stop. 

For her part, Tessa seems very content to let him run the games as he chooses, while she keeps an eye on the door, and her phone, and keeps all of the snacks flowing. But he makes sure to check in with her every so often, even if it’s just with eye contact and a wink and a nod. He appreciates the role he’s playing right now and that she must trust him quite a lot to be doing it. 

Not that he minds at all how close they’ve become this week. He hadn’t been kidding at all - that first evening together when she ended up in his arms - when he’d said he believed there was a reason he’d been drawn to her store. As much as he’d found the tarot reading reassuring, what he’d most walked away with was incredible affection for her. And then she’d told him she felt the same way. And then...since then it’s felt so easy, being with her, falling into the rhythm of each other’s lives like it’s normal. 

How is it possible for him to feel like this already? He shakes his head at the very idea. But even as he’s thinking about all of these things there’s a part of him that just needs more time with her, more...more of  _ her _ , plain and simple. God help him, he wants to know all of her, put his hands against her body and his lips against her skin. He wants to make her feel as good as she deserves to feel.

He swallows, thinking that these are probably exactly the wrong kind of thoughts to be having in the middle of her son’s birthday party. 

As he stands back to watch the kids bounce around the room throwing questions and guesses at each other about their secret identities, Tessa slides easily into place next to Scott. She clasps his hand gently and he turns his full attention to her, immediately filled with delight at the smile on her face. 

“You’re amazing. Last year Jordan was a superstar running the kids’ games, but I think you might have the edge on her this time,” she chuckles almost in disbelief. 

“It comes with the territory,” he says. “I mean, from running the training programs and working with kids so much. And none of these guys are on skates, so this is way easier.”

She laughs that same easy laugh again, her smile gleaming. “I need to come see that sometime. I did promise Leo we’d get him a new pair of skates this year.”

“Oh, any time, T,” he squeezes her hand in answer. “We have drop-in skates, and there’s the hockey program too. Or lessons, first? We do all levels, there’s...” His voice trails off as he remembers Tessa saying Leo’s tried skating once or twice before, so maybe he’d like something less structured. And then he just pauses, realizing he’s halfway to planning Leo’s skating education and he hasn’t even seen him on the ice yet. Or asked him what he wants. 

“Sorry, I get enthusiastic about this,” he says, feeling his cheeks redden a little. 

“Don’t apologize,” she answers, shaking her head. “I meant it. We really do want to get out there on skates this year. Me and him both, I promised that too.”

Scott’s instantly grinning again. “That’s great. I’ll be there, just name the time and we’ll get you guys all set up. Me and the skate shop are at your disposal.” 

She chuckles again. “It’ll be a great belated birthday present. I like that idea.”

“Me too. He deserves a great gift.” He’s cycling through a few ideas in his head, about when there’s a good time in the next week and what the shop schedule looks like. They could even go tomorrow afternoon. Then he pulls his thoughts back in again and takes in a breath. They have time, and he says as much to Tessa. 

“We’ve got tons of time, you’re right. But I like that you’re thinking about it,” Tessa says, that same knowing tone in her voice as she leans closer to him. “And I love your enthusiasm,” she says, softly and knowingly. “It’s something you and my son have in common, I think. That enthusiasm, that....energy,” she offers. “It’ll be so wonderful for you to spend more time with him and get to know each other.” The way she’s speaking is open and genuine, make no mistake. But there’s an emotion underneath it, too, a kind of pride and anticipation. Her eyes are so clear and unguarded. 

He’s hit once again by several thoughts at once. One, that she must be thinking very far in their relationship indeed to be saying something like that. Two, that she’s a wonderful parent and he wants Celia to get to know her better also. And three, that she’s so attractive to him right now. If they weren’t standing a few feet away from a group of children - not to mention their own - he’d be kissing her again right now and sweeping her off her feet. 

Her gaze flickers from his eyes to his lips and then back up again, telling him that she’s probably thinking something like that too. He licks his lips quickly, looks back at her and lets his thumb brush back and forth against her hand that’s still clasped in his. Then at exactly the same time, they both glance over towards the kids, still excitedly playing their game, not minding at all that there aren’t any adults hovering over them at the moment. 

“Would it be wrong to kiss you right now?” he asks, his face already leaning closer to hers again.

She doesn’t answer but just smiles, and then lifts up on her toes to press her lips to his. It’s a quick, soft kiss, that’s followed by another, and then one more. He’d like to do a lot more than that, but it’s more than enough for now. Still...

Tessa brings her hand up to his face, letting her fingers run along his chin, before resting it on his shoulder. “So...after the party’s finished, Leo’s going to spend the evening at my mother’s place. They always do a Leo-Grandma sleepover on his birthday.”

“Oh? So, you’ll be solo this evening.” At Tessa’s nod he wonders fleetingly if she’s been reading his mind, or if that’s too ridiculous. But just now he’s not sure he minds what the answer is, and the fact that they’re clearly on the same wavelength can only be a good thing. “Well that’s...quite a coincidence, because I was going to take Celia over to her grandmother’s house, too. She usually spends part of Saturday with her, so…”

“So you’ll be on your own this evening, too,” she finishes for him. She nods again, as much to herself as to him. 

“If that’s an invitation, then I am very, very pleased to accept,” he offers, taking her other hand in his so they’re pressed close, face to face. He’d swear she’s almost giggling in answer. And he loves that he gets to be the cause of it. 

From the side of his vision he can see the kids’ game has started to run its course, with a few of them breaking off and making silly faces at each other and jumping around on the furniture. He takes in the scene and then looks back at Tessa who’s already gotten her game face back on. 

“Cake first,” she tells him conspiratorially. “Alone time later.” She delivers this last comment with a wink, and it’s enough to just make him laugh out loud, letting some of his happy energy just bubble over. 

It’s a loud enough interruption to make a few of the kids take notice, pausing in their game. Celia runs over to Scott, hugging him around his legs like she wants to share his good time, as well as hers. Scott lets go of Tessa and puts his arm around Celia’s shoulder. 

“You’re having a good time, sweetheart?” 

Celia nods immediately. She doesn’t say anything but he can tell from her whole expression and manner that she’s happy. She’s still bouncing a little, almost vibrating. And they haven’t even gotten to the cake and sugary treats yet. Then she steps away to follow Tessa, who’s already calling to the kids, as Leo gravitates to her side, too. 

He looks on as Tessa gathers the group, getting them collected and settled for cake in the dining room, inside of sixty seconds. Then she’s only gone a moment before she’s bringing out the cake and everyone sings. Leo looks like he’s having the best day ever.

Scott’s pretty sure he is, too, and so is his daughter. And there’s very little more he could really ask for.

*

By the time the party winds down Scott can see Celia doing the same thing. Celia finishes most of her slice of pizza and half her piece of cake, and then returns to sit at Scott’s side. He can tell she’s torn between wanting to be a part of the excitement and feeling tired, like she’s used so much of her energy and has to recharge. It’s not lost on him how she looks at Leo and his older friends like she’s so impressed to hang out with them, but also the others there her own age are just as welcoming as Leo is. As Tessa is, too. He’s a little in awe himself. She has big smiles for everyone, and somehow knows how to give instructions and gather the group while being both authoritative and friendly at the same time. 

After a few of the kids have been picked up by their parents and Tessa’s got a smaller handful to manage on her own, Scott gathers Celia to head over to his mother’s as planned. It’s not without a heavy promise that she’ll get to hang out with Leo and Tessa again soon - very soon, he has no doubt. He also offers to bring back some food for dinner, which Tessa gladly agrees to. 

When he returns, the sun is almost setting. Tessa’s on her own again now, and he would swear she looks a little bereft. She’s been a glowing hostess all afternoon, and Leo had enjoyed his party.

“Everything go okay?” he asks as he sets out the containers of Thai takeaway. She pulls a bottle of white wine out of the fridge and then lets out a breath as she joins him. Minnie the cat has been watching over the proceedings from her spot on one of the kitchen stools, and she happily accepts a scratch behind the ears from Scott. She’d made herself scarce for the afternoon and he guesses she’ll be happy to keep it that way for a little longer, but for checking up on Tessa.

“Everything’s good,” Tessa tells him, although she still seems like she’s thinking about a few things. “I just…I always want Leo to have a good birthday, and it means so much to me when his party goes well. And he was still happy to go for his sleepover at Mom’s too, but…” She shrugs and shakes her head.

“The quiet afterwards feels extra quiet, doesn’t it?” he offers. He still feels the same way when he leaves Celia with his parents, especially in those rare moments when he’s apart from her for more than just one evening or afternoon.

“Yeah.” Tessa nods, her cheeks going a little pink. “It does.” She reaches to pet Minnie, too, and is rewarded by a gentle nudge from her soft head. Minnie purrs happily but stays put, as though reassured that she can rest where she is for the evening, too. 

“Then I’m extra glad to spend the evening with you,” he says, and is happy to see her smile return. 

“Me too. Not just for that reason,” she adds, her voice a little lower. “But for that too.” She leans in and kisses him softly on the lips. He kisses her back once again and when they part he’s smiling back at her too. 

He assembles their plates, and helps her put the rest of the leftovers in the fridge for later. She gathers glasses and the wine and then they both come to sit at the big table in her dining room. As the sun sets just outside they eat, and talk, and everything feels cozier and warmer by the minute. 

They talk more about each other’s worlds - he talks about the programs he’s been working on at the arena, and his hopes for the next year. She tells him about how busy the bookstore has been this week, how the fall fair the week before had given them a good lift in business. She even jokes that Scott might be a bit of a good luck charm in her life, between things going so well at the store and Leo having a great Halloween and birthday week. When he tells her about his conversation with Celia after school - about her costume and what Leo had said to reassure her - Tessa’s response is so compassionate for Celia but he can tell she’s also very proud of her son.

It feels right, then, to voice some of the thoughts and curiosities he’s had this week. About the way he feels when he’s with her, and whether she’s known more than she’s let on about how all of this would go.

“Will you tell me more about it?” He asks when their plates are empty, and their glasses are full for a second time. “Your...your gift,” he adds. “I can tell that you’re very good at reading those cards, and reading people, too, but I...I feel like it must be more than that.” He clears his throat. Almost unconsciously he reaches for her hand and she takes it easily.

The spots of pink on her cheeks bloom brighter, then, but he doesn’t think she’s upset by the question. “You’re right, it is more than that,” she admits. She looks down at their joined hands, letting her thumb drift across his knuckles. There’s an almost bashful expression on her face and he wonders how much practice she has talking about this with someone who isn’t going to judge her about it. He waits, letting her gather her thoughts.

“What you said isn’t all wrong. It is partly about reading people. Like the way some people can walk into a room and sense the tone of the conversation? Or know right away who feels happy to be there and who feels uncomfortable. It’s like that but  _ more. _ It’s an ability I’ve always had, since I was a teenager. And actually that’s how it works when I read people too, it’s always adults, never children,” she explains, and he nods. He thinks that must be a kind of respite, that when she’s here with only her son she can just be herself and so can he. “Anyway, all of the women in my family have some version of this. That’s just how it’s always been.”

“That makes sense,” he thinks out loud, because it does make a kind of sense. He knows her sister is a nurse, and would bet it’s something that makes her job easier, too. 

Tessa squeezes his hand and then lets go again, reaching for her wine glass instead. She takes a sip, thinking. “It’s hard to describe. It’s not like I just immediately know everything about a person the first time I see them,” she explains, clearly not for the first time. “But it’s like an extra sense, just there in the background all the time. Sometimes it hits me after the fact, like, ‘oh, that woman at the cafe is going to be divorced in three months,’ or ‘that man I shook hands with at the store is afraid of losing his business and hasn’t taken a vacation in four years,” she says. She shakes her head again, like she’s not sure she’s explaining it well enough or not. But he thinks he understands, and he nods, waiting for her to continue.

She sits back a little in her chair, her hands folded around the stem of the wine glass. “But then reading the cards lets me direct it, give it more focus. When I do a reading it all comes through so clearly and I can be free and open with it, and then let it fade into the background most of the rest of the time.” She lets out a breath. “I’ve gotten enough practice at controlling it, now. So if I see anything specific about someone’s life or future, it’s because I’ve chosen to.” 

Scott leans a little closer, letting his hand rest next to hers on the table. “That must be a lot to walk around with, every day.”

She nods, almost on reflex. “Yes. But as I said, I’ve had practice at it.” He waits for another beat, hesitating before asking his next question. But when she turns her glance back to him, her gaze is soft again. “Go on. I can tell you’re curious to ask.” She puts her hand on top of his once more. “It’s only reasonable to want to know.”

So he asks. “Have you seen my future too? Do you know...how this turns out for us?” He’s got a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach all of a sudden. He wants to know - and he doesn’t think she would have spent this last week getting so close with him if the answer were bad - but at the same time he’s not sure he’s prepared for an answer that isn’t good. His daughter and her son are becoming friends, too, and he doesn’t want to do anything that would harm one of the few budding friendships she has here. He also suddenly remembers what Tessa said to him that night in her kitchen, about how Celia would always be welcome here no matter what. And that had made him feel so reassured, but also what did that mean for the two of them romantically?

He feels her squeeze his hand and he’s brought back out of his thoughts. She brings her other hand up to touch his cheek, one finger grazing along the line of his chin and tilting his gaze directly towards her. 

“I haven’t seen  _ everything _ . That would be impossible,” she tells him with a shake of her head. “And I do have blind spots sometimes, that’s just how it goes.” He nods, guessing that her relationship with her husband must have been one of those blind spots. “But when I first met you I could tell you were a good person right away. I knew I wanted to spend more time with you and get to know you, and I could tell you were in a place where you were ready to want the same thing with someone. And then later when I realized what I was feeling for you...I let myself look further.” She swallows. 

“And?” He brings up his free hand to clasp hers, and then rests their joined hands between them. 

“I could see this week. Spending Halloween with you and then Leo’s party. Not everything,” she repeats, shaking her head. “If I’d known you were going to be such a crack games master I’d have invited you to do that from the beginning.” She laughs, almost giggling, and he laughs too, relieved. 

“And more than that?” The feeling in his stomach releases a little, turning from nervousness to hopeful excitement.

She nods, and in the soft indoor light of the room she’s almost glowing. “I didn’t see forever. But it was long enough to know that if you are the man I believe you are...the man I’ve seen sharing my life in the days to come, then…” she just shakes her head wordlessly. “Then I can believe in fate this time, too. I can trust my heart with yours.”

A thrill runs through him, hearing her say this. It’s proof of everything he’s been wondering about and hoping for. Then there’s the most fleeting half-second of a moment when he wishes she’d told him this sooner. But then he remembers how her marriage had ended and how her trust must have been very bruised by it - maybe even left her doubting herself - and then those regrets just evaporate. If anything, he’s glad she wanted to be sure, especially if it means he can have the comfort of knowing their path together will be a good one. 

“I had to look,” she tells him, her voice imploring, filling the silence of his hesitation. “I had to. I couldn’t…” She takes in a breath. “I could already tell how much I felt for you so quickly, and then after we kissed I just needed to know. To know if it was going to be real, for  _ good _ , this time.”

He exhales, any remaining tension leaving him. “It’s okay, Tess, truly. I’m glad you know that about us, now. And I don’t...I don’t need to know any more than that, I promise. At least not right now,” he adds, not sure how he’ll think about all of this later. “But you need to know that the way I’ve felt about you ever since I met you, it’s...just felt so right, so...easy. Like you’re what’s been missing in my life. And now that I’ve found you it wouldn’t make any sense  _ not _ to be with you,” he gets out. She’s looking at him with understanding, and something like relief, and it’s enough to make him keep going. “And if what you’ve seen is enough to tell me that those feelings have been right all along, then Tess, that’s all I need to know. I trust you, and I want to be with you, and if you feel the same way then that’s enough for me.”

She surges forward and kisses him, her lips meeting his so firmly he’s almost knocked backwards. He kisses her back, just revelling in the sensation. She lets go of his hands to rest hers on his shoulders, and when they finally break the kiss he’s still face to face with her, breathing the same air as she is. 

“I wasn’t sure how to tell you,” she says next. “Even though I saw things working out between us and even though I knew you felt the same way...There’s a difference between knowing it in my mind and knowing it out loud,  _ with _ someone, if that makes sense.”

He can’t know exactly what it’s like for her, walking around in the world with her mind and her ability. But he knows how many times he’s felt that same need for confirmation of things he’s felt about Celia, and how rewarding it’s been every time she reciprocates the same things back to him, as her father. 

“Yeah, it does,” he nods. “It makes sense to me.  _ You _ make sense to me.”

When they kiss this time his lips find hers just as she leans in right at the same moment. It’s a kiss that starts out gently, almost like they’re exploring each other for the first time all over again. Tessa presses her lips against his again and again, as he slides his hand across her cheek and into her hair, holding her close. They part again just long enough to change angles and he dives in again, feeling her mouth open under his. 

Dimly, he’s also reminded that this is the first time he’s done this with her when they’re not going to be interrupted by children or anyone else. He really does just get to keep sitting here with her and kissing her and touching her. So that’s what he does. 

And it’s what she does, too. She breaks their kiss long enough to move even closer, so close they’re almost sitting in the same chair. And then a moment later that’s exactly what they’re doing, as she positions herself half in his chair and half in his lap. He’s more than accepting, holding her close around her waist. They’d gotten this far the other night on his back deck, clinging to one another amidst the cold night air and the thrill of feeling almost like two teenagers evading being discovered. But there are definite advantages to being inside like this, in the safe haven of her quiet home, with no interruptions or obligations ahead of them. 

Before long his kisses aren’t just for her lips anymore. He lets one hand trail along her neck and shoulder, along the collar of her blouse, as his mouth follows in its wake. Then he’s dipping his fingers underneath the fabric, moving along the warmth of her skin. She arches her back enough to urge him forward and so he continues, opening the buttons on the blouse and slipping his hand inside. He traces the underside of her breast and then her movement fills his hand the rest of the way. He grasps at the warmth of her skin, tracing a path along the curve of her waist, all of his instincts taking over. Her hands clasp around his shoulders, one sliding up the back of his head and through his hair too. With each new kiss, each touch, there’s less and less space remaining between them, and very little abandon left to lose. 

When she releases a moan as his hand slides beneath the hem of her skirt he feels a sizzling jolt run through him. He lifts his mouth from hers and takes in a gasping breath. For a moment they just rest against each other, foreheads touching. 

“Oh, how I’m falling in love with you,” she tells him on a breathless sigh, like it’s the last thing left to confess. Her hand strokes along his forehead and his cheek. 

“Tess,” he gets out, equally in awe of her. And he’s sure he feels exactly the same way. “You have to know I am too.”

Every time they’ve kissed before now it’s been like the start of something new and exciting. But now he knows they’ve moved past that. It’s not just the thrill of a new relationship that’s drawing him in to her, but the certainty of having so much more time together spread out before them. He still wants to be with her, he’s still so amazed by her. But it’s shifted now to feeling like their actions truly are about committing to one other. 

Tessa finds his lips with hers again, as he wraps both hands around her waist. It’s another breathless moment later she’s moving one knee and straddling him completely. He trails his lips down her neck, nipping a little amidst his caresses. She pulls at one of his hands and moves it lower, helping him to shift her skirt higher. He takes the invitation eagerly, grasping at her bare skin underneath. When he gets as far as the line of her underwear she releases a breathless moan, and he feels himself do the same. The fabric between her legs is damp, and when he slips his fingers underneath he finds her already slick. 

She moans again, resting the side of her head against his, grasping at his shoulders. He can feel her breath hot on the back of his neck. She widens her legs as well as she can, moving against his hand. But as eager as they both are to keep going, he knows they can’t stay here much longer. The chair isn’t big enough for both of them to keep their balance and do what he’d very much like them to do right now.

“Tess, can we...Where do you want to do this?” he asks. 

She’s half-gasping when she answers. “Upstairs. My room.” She waves one hand towards the hall with the staircase. 

He nods, and flattens both hands around her waist, readying himself to stand. For good measure he kisses her one more time, and then she stands first. In this light her eyes are such a deep, dark green, and the way she’s looking at him is so exposed, almost shattered. He stands and puts his arms around her, kissing her almost reverently. This is the woman he’s meant to spend the rest of his life with, the one he can devote himself to and who will love him back just as wholeheartedly...his head swims with it. He’s torn between wanting to slow down this moment and make it last as long as possible.

But then, he remembers, they’ve got plenty of time for that. And he thinks she agrees, judging from the mischievous grin she gives him as they part. “Come on,” she whispers, and takes his hand. 

He follows her through the house and up the stairs, pausing a couple of times to kiss her again. By the time they make it to the upstairs hallway she’s managed to shed his sweater, and her blouse is open and falling off her shoulders. She kisses him once more, very deeply, and then takes his hand to lead him into her bedroom. 

It’s a large room, tucked under the gables of one side of the house, and more open and bright than he might have thought for the age and size of her house. He’s not sure exactly what he’d been expecting, but taking in the light cream-coloured walls, and the fireplace at one end of the room, and the wood furniture that complements the floors so perfectly...he can tell this is her place of retreat and comfort. It’s enough to humble him just a little, that he gets to be with her like this, in her space.

That feeling is soon pushed aside in favour of much more pressing concerns, as Tessa turns and encloses herself in his arms once more. Her lips are on his then, just as insistent as before. As they kiss again and again, her fingers move to the buttons of his shirt, eventually removing it altogether before moving to his belt and his pants zipper. He lifts his hands to her blouse, too, slipping it off of her shoulders and making it easy for him to slide his fingers around her back, managing to unhook her bra. A delighted shiver runs through her at his touch against her bare skin, and he’s treated to a gorgeous, fleeting smile between kisses

Then his hands move along her waist, slipping underneath the waistband of her skirt. He’s got enough coherent thought to feel grateful when she saves him from having to fiddle with the clasp. She pulls it down along with her panties and lets the fabric fall to the floor, just as he does the same and steps out of his trousers and boxers. And then she’s there in front of him all of her naked and bare, just as he is. 

For a moment he just takes in the sight of her, the pale expanse of her skin that’s now flushed with heat. But there’s no hesitation about her, no sudden modesty. Just her, all of her, ready to dive into this with him. And she’s looking at him about the same as he guesses he’s looking at her, her gaze travelling across his face and down his body. She reaches a hand towards him, gently tracing the line of muscles along his arms and shoulder. Her hand lingers a moment just above his shoulder blade, and the way she pauses tells him she knows that’s the place he’d had surgery several years ago after an injury. She rests her hands on his bare chest, her expression kind, but no less adoring and enamoured than before.

Tessa lifts up on her toes to kiss him again, gentle and reassuring. He lets his hands rest on her shoulders, holding her close, skin to skin. She kisses him on his cheek, and then his chin, and down along the line of his shoulder. With one hand he brushes her hair away from her face, exposing more of her skin. He leans in and kisses her in the same place, feeling her shiver in anticipation as he presses his lips along the curve of her neck. 

She wraps her arms more tightly around him, closing any remaining hint of space between them. That’s all he needs to pull her to him, gathering her in his arms and lifting her up. “Bed, now,” she murmurs in agreement. 

He moves them the short distance to her bed, setting her down gently even as they keep kissing each other, touching each other. She manages to pull back the covers and he helps her, moving to place himself next to her. Just as quickly she moves herself over top of him, straddling him with one knee on either side. Feeling all of her like this, getting to press his lips and hands anywhere he wants on her bare skin is enough to pull him deeper, make him forget anything else. Well, that, and the feeling of her tongue parting his lips and sliding against his teeth. It’s like they’re drinking each other in. 

It’s not long before she’s pressed against him, just like they’d been downstairs. Scott takes the signal and moves one hand between their bodies, sliding into her where she’s slick and ready. As she grinds against his hand he can feel himself moving in a rhythm with her. He plants open-mouthed kisses along her shoulder but then they’re just breathing together as they move, the air hot between them. And then she’s squeezing her thighs on either side of his legs, tightening around his hand as she breaks apart. She presses her head against his shoulder and he can feel the hard, cool line of her teeth grazing against his muscles as she rides out her orgasm. It’s almost enough to bring him to release as well, but he holds back.

A moment later she lifts her head and they kiss, almost breathless. “Do you have…” he starts, practically fumbling for words. He knows they’ve just revealed more than their fair share of trust and passionate declarations, but he’s not sure that extends to doing any of this without protection just yet.

“Yes, the drawer,” she breathes out, gesturing towards the little bedside table. He puts out his hand too, realizing he can reach it more easily. After he locates the box and unwraps one of the foil packets, she helps him to finish the job. A smile curls on her face as she does so, her hand travelling the full, hard length of him, and then he’s crashing his lips against hers in a futile effort to kiss the smile right off her face. 

And then she’s lifting up again, bracing her hands on his shoulders and lowering herself down onto him. He remains steady as he can, palming her hips in each hand. When she bottoms out she exhales, long and deep, and then they’re just still together for a moment, just feeling how this feels. He lifts his head just enough to get a better look at her so close like this, it’s then that he truly notices the extent of her freckles. They’re scattered all over her face and chest, some along her arms, too. His hand comes up almost subconsciously, tracing a few of them just above her breast. In the low light and with her skin so flushed like this it’s almost like she’s glowing, and he can’t resist. He lets his mouth follow the path of his fingers.

She breathes out a half-moan, shuddering just a little as she starts to move. He squeezes her hip again, moving with her. It’s glorious, being inside her like this, giving himself over to her completely. It doesn’t take them long to find a rhythm, slow and intentional at first. He just wants this to feel good for her, and he’s more than rewarded by the moans that escape her as they thrust together. His own groans start to meet hers as they continue and start gathering more speed. Then he’s squeezing her hips with both hands again as she presses closer and closer with every thrust. 

Finally she loosens one hand from his shoulders to bring one of his between them, pressing his fingers just where she needs them. A moment later he’s rewarded with an escalating, keening cry as she comes apart around him for the second time that night. A few more thrusts and he’s following her with his own release, her name on his lips as he does. 

They collapse together. He falls back against the pillows and she goes with him, limp and pliant in his arms. After a moment she lifts her face to his, and he brings up one hand to brush her hair out of her eyes. Her expression alone is enough for him to know how she feels. He offers her a languid smile and is met with one in return. She kisses him again, the softest pressure against his lips. That’s how they remain for a little while longer - exchanging kisses and caressing touches as their bodies cool, surrounded by the tranquil quiet of her home.

*

Scott wakes up slowly, dimly aware that he’s in an unfamiliar, dimly lit room. He blinks and then opens his eyes wide, momentarily forgetting where he is. Then he registers Tessa’s presence again next to him, and he relaxes again. He remembers falling asleep nestled close to her, one arm wrapped around her as he’d spooned her from behind. Not to mention all of their activities that preceded falling asleep - they’d come together not just once but twice, before giving in to sleep. 

Some time in the night she must have shifted again, and now she’s lying on her side facing him with his hand resting on her hip, her breath falling lightly against his chest. He closes his eyes again, holding her easily. He’s so comfortable right now, warm and relaxed next to her. He’s not sure what time it is - maybe almost dawn - but he could so easily fall asleep again.  _ This might all be a dream _ , he thinks to himself a moment later.

“What’s all a dream?”

Scott opens his eyes again, still face to face with Tessa. Only now her eyes are open, too, and she’s got a curious, almost teasing, smile on her face.

He shifts again, bringing his arm more fully around her waist and nestling even closer now that she’s awake. “This,” he exhales, smiling too. “All of this. No other way to explain it.”

“Oh yeah?” Tessa uncurls one hand and lifts it towards him, running delicate fingertips underneath his chin. “What makes you so sure of that?”

Scott just holds her for a moment, enjoying this lazy, almost-awake time. Her body is warm, and soft, and he can actually hear the smile in her voice when she speaks. “A week and a half ago I’d only just met you,” he says. “And then last night you told me it was all meant to be, that being with you is going to work out very well for both of us.”

“And that could only happen in a dream?” Her voice is low and gravelly, still only partially awake.

“Maybe,” he allows. “It’s definitely only happened in my dreams.” He means it as a light, hopeful comment, but once he’s said it he realizes the truth of it. Of the dreams he’d had to put aside for himself for so many years. But now, with her, he can see them starting to take shape again. 

Tessa nestles closer. “Then maybe this is a very, very good dream come to life,” she says easily. And maybe that really is true.

He kisses the top of her head and lets his hand drift over her hair, once and then twice, and then again in a kind of soothing rhythm. He feels her sigh, her breath warm on his chest, and can tell she’s relaxed. For a moment he wonders if she’s fallen asleep again but then she lifts her hand to offer the same kind of touch to him, brushing his hair off of his forehead. He closes his eyes as she does it again, and then feels a warmth surge through him as she kisses his cheek. 

They lie together a little longer, curled together under the covers. It’s close to dawn, now, and the more they stay like this the more the light from outside starts to fill the room, fading in through the big gable windows of her bedroom. He finds his mind drifting back over the previous day, and their conversations. Now that he knows more, it makes him think back and wonder.

He remembers one comment during the party and then smiles to himself. “What you said before, about me and Leo having some things in common, did you mean that?”

She lifts her head from his chest to look at him, her eyes practically sparkling as she answers. “Oh, yes, very much so. I mean, I don’t know how you were when you were a boy, but I can imagine you being a lot like him.”

“Having trouble sitting still? Wanting to try everything all at once?”

She laughs. “Yes, all of it. And he has such imagination, and a generous heart,” she adds, more softly. “I want so much for him not to lose those qualities, and I know it’s going to be even harder as he gets older.”

Scott nods. “I can understand that. And I know no one can promise what he’ll hold on to and what he’ll let go of, but I’ll enjoy getting to know him better - both of you. And Celia will too.”

Tessa’s brightness surfaces again when he mentions his daughter. “She’s just a wonderful girl, Scott, really. So curious, and smart, and...there’s a boldness in her, as well.”

“You’ve got that right,” he answers proudly. “I think her reserved side is what most of the world sees most of the time, but she’s got so much curiosity deep down and she just takes everything in at her own pace. The bold side can be a little harder to manage some days but that’s okay.”

“Well, we all have our moments,” she says pensively. 

And then it occurs to him. “You know...I think you and Celia have some things in common, too,” he tells her. 

“Really? Oh, how lovely to think that,” she answers, pleased and not at all fazed by the comment. If anything she seems a little bit proud, a lighter version of how she sounds when talking about Leo. 

“It’s true,” he adds, taking her hand in his for good measure. “I can tell you think about things really deeply, too. And that you like connecting with people and believe in their goodness. Those are all part of how Cee looks at the world too, in her way.” He looks Tessa in the eye, wanting her to know how sincere he’s being. “And I think you’re one of the smartest, most generous and compassionate people I’ve ever met.”

Tessa’s expression changes as he speaks, like she’s amazed and honoured to be associated with qualities like that. But there’s also faint surprise on her face. He wonders if he was more accurate in his description than he anticipated. When she reads her cards she’s always the one on the other side of this sort of thing. 

But then that gentle smile returns, and a blush spreads across her cheeks. “And you don’t even have any cards in front of you,” she offers, looking down at their joined hands. “It’s not often someone reads me that well. Or very often that I let them.” She blinks slowly as she looks up at him again, and he gets caught up just looking at the way her lashes frame her eyes.

“But I’m not just ‘someone,’” he offers back, with just the same smile.

Tessa shakes her head, her face so close to his. “No, you’re not. You’re very much not just ‘someone.”

It’s easy, then, kissing her. He meets her lips just as she’s lifting hers. She rests her hand on his cheek, cradling his face. He wraps both arms around her, holding her just as gently. 

“I’m glad we did this,” she says. “All of it. And I’m glad you were here yesterday, both you and your daughter. Leo had a great time and it’s the best gift I could ask for.” She re-settles herself so she’s lying next to him, shoulder to shoulder. 

“What does Leo think of having his birthday so close to Halloween?” Scott asks, wondering suddenly. It’s something he’d been curious about. 

Tessa’s expression changes, then, like it’s a question that doesn’t have an easy answer. He starts to apologize but then she puts out a hand to his shoulder and stops him. “It’s okay,” she reassures him. “It’s alright to ask. Leo actually doesn’t mind at all, it’s...it’s just me. With me and my family living with the abilities we have, and the way the rumour mill starts up sometimes…” She lets out a heavy sigh, her words trailing off without further need for explanation. 

“People get superstitious,” he says, no small amount of frustration rising in him as he’s reminded of the kind of challenges she must live with on a daily basis.

“Yes, they do,” she responds pointedly. “The one thing I didn’t want was for him to be born on Halloween. I knew it would be a hard thing to live with - for me, mostly, but for him, too. And actually he wasn’t supposed to be born until a couple of weeks later, well into November. When I originally found out my due date I was relieved, thinking the likelihood of him coming at Halloween was so little. But then I went into labour early, and…” She trails off again, looking over at him. 

“Go on,” he says, ready to keep listening.

“Are you sure?” She shakes her head. “I don’t know if this really qualifies as pillow talk,” she says wryly.

He laughs gently. “I don’t know if discovering we’re fated to be together qualifies as typical third date talk, either, but here we are.”

She smiles knowingly. “Alright. Well, as I said, he wasn’t supposed to arrive until a few weeks later,” she starts again, and he can tell he’s going to get a longer, important story from her. He shifts a little so he’s resting more on his side, just looking at her. 

“My husband and I - ex-husband, by that point - had separated long before that anyway, so I was already on my own. But he was away on business travel and had expected he could be there in person when it happened. I was prepared for it, either way, though, I’d gotten the baby’s room ready with my mother’s help, and had all his little clothes and blankets and things all ready.” She shakes her head. “It was like I wanted to be ready in time for Halloween just in case. Like the universe might have different plans for me no matter what. I was going to give birth at the hospital when the time came.”

“But things went differently?” he asks.

“Yes, to say the least,” she says wryly. “The morning of Halloween I started having contractions. Just light ones, and only for an hour or so at first. But then they kept coming back. I was nearly beside myself with worry, but I didn’t want to go to the hospital. Like that meant giving in. My sister came and convinced me to go in and I was just so uncomfortable I finally relented. In the end it turned out to be false labour, likely stress-induced. The next morning they sent me home, with instructions to rest. I’d never been so relieved.”

“By then it wasn’t Halloween any more,” he fills in for her. 

“No.” Even now he can hear the relief in her voice. “We’d at least made it past that. It was November. And if he’d come then everything would probably have been fine and he’d have been healthy, but I was glad to keep him inside me a little longer.” Her hand drifts to rest around her middle, like she’s remembering. 

“But he came a couple of days later?” 

“Yes, November third,” she smiles. “Well clear of Halloween but still almost completely by surprise. After the Halloween escapade Jordan stayed with me the whole next day, just making sure everything was alright. And it was. I mostly slept, and took it easy, and then she went back to work like normal and it felt like he was going to stay snug for a while longer.” She pauses, looking at him with a hard to read expression. “When I said I have blind spots sometimes...well, this is one of the biggest ones I’ve ever had,” she says.

He can’t help laughing then, just impressed at the fact that she’s admitting that much, along with telling this whole story. He brings his arm around her and she lets him, that same wry grin returning. “I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t laugh,” he tells her. “That must have been the least convenient thing to not see coming.”

“You’re right, it was,” she says, leaving no room for doubt on that score. And then she sighs again. Her hand is resting on his chest again and she brushes her thumb across his skin, almost absentmindedly. “But also…I think I was so convinced that having made it past Halloween, there was no other time he was going to come than on his real due date.” She shakes her head, shrugging a little. “So when I started having contractions in the morning I just didn’t think it was going to be the real thing. I figured it was just false labour again. They went away again for a little while and that seemed to prove that theory right.”

“I remember I slept that afternoon, for much longer than I planned to. I remember going to sleep in the daylight and when I woke up when it was dark.” She clears her throat, her voice no longer tinted with the haze of sleep. But now he can hear more of the emotion behind her words as she continues the story. He’s glad she’s in his arms right now. “When I woke up the contractions were starting again, and this time they were so much stronger. It felt like it had to be the real thing but I still couldn’t quite let myself believe it. And I knew my sister would be finishing her shift a couple of hours later so I thought I’d just wait for her to come and go to the hospital then.”

Tessa shakes her head again. “But then it was clear I wasn’t going to be able to wait that long. My water broke and everything just started going so fast. And then my sister ended up finishing her shift early - she had a feeling - and when she got here and saw me she knew there was going to be no moving me at that point. She called the ambulance, and they got here as fast as they could, but…Leo arrived first.” she pauses, remembering. He thinks there’s tears in her eyes, but they’re not unhappy ones. Everything had worked out well.

“He came here? At home?” He’s amazed, just thinking about it. 

She nods, her expression happy. “Yes, at home. Right here.” She lifts her head, nodding to the large armchair in the corner, at the end of the room with the fireplace. “Right there actually, in the big chair.”

It’s hard to describe exactly what he’s feeling, listening to her tell this story. He thinks how wonderful it must be to welcome a brand new child into the world, and how surprising it must have been for her to do all of that here, earlier than she’d expected. It also delights him to picture Leo as a tiny newborn, and makes him want to ask Tessa later if she has any pictures from his early days in the world. But mostly he’s in awe at how she got through all of that - not just the physical experience of labour but the stress she’d carried along with it. Of what stigma might follow her child if they’d been born on Halloween. It makes it even more real for him, the rumours and speculation that have affected her life for so long. 

“You’re amazing,” he says, just looking at her. He clasps her hand where it’s lying against his chest. “I’m so sorry you had to do that alone,” he tells her. 

“But I wasn’t alone,” Tessa says simply, shaking her head. “In the end I did have Jordan, and the EMTs. And then our mother was there too.” She smiles softly, as though remembering some other, more personal things. “And from then on I had Leo,” she says, with a gentle shrug. “My little lion. I’ve never been alone, ever since.”

Scott wishes he could answer her story with one of his. But the story of Celia’s birth isn’t his to tell, not in that way. That was for Charlie and Tanith. He’s shared some brief versions of that story with his daughter, and one day he’ll share the longer version that he knows. 

Instead of a birth story he has the stories of a thousand other moments cataloged in his mind, some incredibly big and meaningful for how small they are, and others that just remind him of how fortunate he is, to have this little girl in his life. Together all of those moments make the story of him becoming her father, and although there’s no real way to compare his story with Tessa’s...in the end he never could really try. They’re his and Celia’s shared story, no one else’s.

There’s no denying what some of the most important moments have been, though, and he thinks it’s only right that he share one of them now with Tessa. Their lives are about to be intertwined - one could argue they already are - and he wants to help that process by sharing more of his past with her, too. 

“The first time Celia called me ‘Daddy,’ it was a little after her second birthday,” he starts. He feels Tessa’s gaze resting on him, encouraging him to continue. “She’d been with me for about six months at that point. We’d had a rough go of it for the first couple of months. She...she knew who I was, of course, I’d been in her life since she was a day old.”

“You and her parents were very close?”

Scott nods. Suddenly he’s blinking, too, feeling tears prick at his eyes. “We were friends, and partners. Together we ran the training programs at the skating club I worked at when I lived in Michigan. And it was the sort of partnership where we just blended into each other’s lives so seamlessly it was hard to set boundaries sometimes. We worked together, we hung out together. After Celia was born I babysat for her once a week, to give them a night off. Sometimes more often than that.”

He swallows. “After they died I was just in shock, I think probably for days afterwards. And I kept Celia with me because she knew me and everyone thought it was best that way.” He shrugs. “I think it was the shock that kept me from remembering all the details of what they’d planned for her in their will, because when the executor told me her guardianship fell to me it was like I’d heard it for the first time.”

“A lot of people would probably react like that,” she offers, her voice gentle. “Grief does terrible things to us.” She nestles closer to him again, so they’re chest to chest, now. He can feel her heart beating next to his, so steadily.

He nods, taking in a breath and then letting it out again slowly. “Anyway, the first couple of months were hard. She was old enough to know that her parents weren’t there anymore, but too young to understand why. Hell, I didn’t even understand why,” he adds, emotion clouding his voice. He wipes one hand under his eyes. 

“She knew me as Uncle Scott and that’s who I was for a long time, and I was okay with that,” he says, skipping ahead a little in the story for his own sake. “And even though I don’t think she ever really understood why her parents were gone, it got easier. I just kept taking it one day at a time, and doing my best for her, and by the time we made it to her second birthday we were in such a good place. Better than we’d been the whole time.”

He pauses, remembering. It feels like a lifetime ago. And in many ways it is. When he thinks back on those days a lot of the memories he has are of him cuddling her at all different times of day. Of reading her stories before bed and being so patient with her every time she asked questions. 

“Did you have a party?” Tessa asks. 

“Sort of,” he says. “I wasn’t really sure about doing anything big - it felt wrong somehow, when she was so little and Charlie and Tanith hadn’t even been gone a year. But she had a few little friends from her daycare group and some of the other parents seemed to want to help out and put something together, so I let them. A few of them came over and we had cake, and played some games. It was a short party but it was good. I remember Celia was so happy about it, getting to play with her little friends at home. And at that point I was still pretty strict about sweets, so celebrating with a cake was a  _ big _ deal.”

Tessa murmurs sympathetically. “I know what you mean. I still always get way too big a cake for Leo on his birthday, I can’t help myself.”

“Yeah,” he agrees, smiling too. “Honestly, the times I get to spoil her silly, they’re always worth it.” He remembers, too, how much Celia had loved her cake on her last birthday. It was at the end of the summer, just a couple of weeks after they’d moved up here. His mother had made an enormous chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, and they’d had a nice little party with a few of Scott’s nieces and nephews. It was a great day.

He wraps his arms around Tessa again, pulling her tight. She drops a kiss to his chest, before resting her head against his shoulder. “Anyway, I think something must have clicked for her, after that birthday, seeing all the kids and their parents in one space together like that. Most of them had two parents, so it was a lot of hearing ‘Mommy’ this, and ‘Daddy’ that, all around her,” he explains. “A few days later it sort of hit, I think. She always did like to process things for a while, even when she was that little. We were out at the park and she played a little bit with some of the other kids and then came running back over to me and put her little hands on my knee and said, ‘my Daddy.’ And then ran back to the other kids again.”

“Oh, Scott,” Tessa says, her voice thick. 

“It was amazing. I was sort of in a daze about it, all day. I called home that night and told my mom, and she cried with me.” 

Tessa’s arms come up around his shoulders, wordlessly pressing her whole body against his. 

“And since then, we’ve been a family,” he finishes. “Her and me.”

“You’re a good father, Scott,” she tells him, so insistently, sounding almost as choked up as he feels. “You are. With everything that’s happened she is so, so lucky to have you.” She presses a lingering kiss to his cheek.

“I could say the same about you, you know,” he tells her just as emphatically. “You’re an amazing mom, and an amazing woman. And if I got this lucky with Celia then I don’t even know how to describe how it feels to get lucky enough to find you, too.”

She closes her eyes tight, tears finally spilling. And then she nods, such an impossibly simple gesture for how big it feels. 

He kisses her, a couple of times on her cheeks and then on her lips. She kisses him back just as fervently. And then the moment changes again, and lying next to each other isn’t enough any more. After laying bare so much of their emotional lives it’s like the only thing left to balance them again is to rediscover their physical connection all over again. He lets his hands travel along her body, touching and caressing every place he can reach.

And then she wraps one leg around him, urging him to keep going. They make love for the third time, as dawn blooms fully into day.

*

A little while later they finally shower - together - and get cleaned up and somewhat ready to start the morning. He pulls on his boxers and t-shirt from the day before, and she steals his button-down shirt, a mischievously triumphant look on her face that he just wants to kiss, so he does. He’s feeling no small amount of male pride, knowing he’s the one responsible for the languid, content expression she’s wearing right now.

By the time they make their way downstairs the morning is bright, and so is the rest of the house. They settle in the kitchen, making coffee and conversation. He decides to treat her and offers to make waffles or pancakes, and is delighted by the excited expression on her face when she pulls out a long-neglected waffle maker from the cupboard. 

“I can’t remember the last time we made waffles. Sometimes Jordan makes pancakes for dinner when she’s here watching Leo,” she offers. 

“Well pancakes are great but if there’s a lack of waffles around here, that sounds like something we’ll have to fix,” he winks. 

Tessa grins back at him, just happy. “I think that sounds like a really, really good idea.” She nudges him with her elbow, and he nudges her back. They repeat this a few times until they’re both laughing, like two teenagers in love. 

Scott mixes up the batter and has the waffle iron going in no time. She cuts up some fruit to go with the waffles, and after a few minutes they’re settled in at the kitchen island with their food and full mugs of coffee. Minnie appears, and winds herself a few times around Tessa’s legs before doing the same to Scott. He accepts the gesture with great importance, and scratches her around the ears. The cat jumps up on one of the other chairs and settles in, content to keep them company.

They take a moment to pick up their neglected phones and read through messages - they’d both checked earlier, before their shower, long enough to find no emergencies to deal with. But now that he’s fully in the day he wants to catch up on everything. There’s a few messages from work, and a couple from Danny asking about getting together later on in the week. And then a few messages and photos from his mother are the most important ones. In another hour or so he’ll go pick up Celia, and Tessa’s mother will return with Leo. 

Tessa’s catch up doesn’t take as long, and so she gives him his space to keep reading, listening as he tells her a few things. She starts in on the clean-up, gathering their dishes and putting a few things in the sink. 

“Oh, I should have guessed this would happen,” he says, getting to one of the messages his mother had sent about half an hour ago. There’s a photo attached. 

“What is it?” Tessa pauses in her work, her hands half-covered in suds. There’s a look of mild concern on her face, which dissipates when he smiles at her and holds up his phone. It’s a picture of Celia holding a very small, very adorable, orange cat. 

“My mom’s neighbour’s cat had a litter of kittens a couple of months back. She kept saying she’d take Celia to see them when they were ready for visitors and potentially new homes, but I didn’t think that was going to be  _ this _ weekend,” he says, half-delighted but also half-resigned to the bargaining he knows will follow.

“Oh, how adorable. She wants a little kitty of her own?” She continues the washing up.

“Yeah. Apparently orange kitties are top of the list. Very important partners in dragon hunting, I’m told.”

“Ah, of course,” Tessa answers. “Just like in the book series, right?”

“You know it,” he says, tapping out a message to his mom and then putting down his phone. “I’d like to say we’ll talk this out a bit first, but…” he shrugs. 

Tessa finishes her task and then wipes her hands on a tea towel. She fills her coffee mug a second time and then comes back to join him. On her way she gives Minnie a good pat, scratching her under her chin. “Well, that’s okay, huh, Minerva? We can be a two-kitty household, what do you think?” She’s met with a lazily contented expression as Minnie closes her eyes and leans in to the scratches, happy to be doted on. Tessa gives her one more pat for good measure and then sits down in her spot with Scott. “I think it’ll be okay,” she says, and takes a sip of her coffee.

Scott’s just looking at her, half-amazed. She sets down her coffee and then pauses at his expression, and then realizes. “Oh,” she says, blushing suddenly. 

A slow smile breaks out across his face. “Two-kitty household? And just when exactly are we going to make that leap?” He’s laughing as he asks, still getting used to the idea that the new love of his life can know these things before he does.

“I don’t know exactly,” she admits. “Just that...it’ll happen. It’s there for us, when we’re ready for it.”

“Yeah?” His grin matches hers, now. “What else? I want to know, now, really.” The previous evening it had been enough for him to just know that everything would work out. But now that he’s had a taste of what their lives might look like, he wants more of the certainty.

Tessa hesitates a little, the blush still bright on her cheeks. “Well, you know we end up together. Us and our kids,” she starts. 

“Are we married?”

She nods easily, glad to confirm it. “Yes.”

“And are there…” he pauses, one hand covering his mouth as he makes sure he wants to ask. It’s too big a question to not want to hear the answer for sure. But now that he’s thought it, he has to know. “Are there more children? For us?”

Tessa nods once more, quickly and insistently. Her eyes blink shut, and they’re wet when she opens them again. But there’s no mistaking the happiness in her expression. 

He stands and just pulls her to him, enclosing her in his arms so tightly. She stands quickly, too, wrapping her arms around his waist as he buries his face in the curve of his neck. It’s all he can think to do, just then. “Thank you,” he gets out, entirely failing to hold back the emotion surging in him all of a sudden. “Thank you for telling me.” He didn’t think this day could get more important.

But then, it finally, fully lands on him then - this woman in his arms, the woman he’s quickly fallen in love with and is ready to give everything to. She isn’t just his future partner, or the love of his life. She’ll be the mother of his children. And Celia will have two parents again, for the first time in four and a half years.

They stay like that for a long moment, just affirming and comforting each other. “I’ve known all week,” she reveals tearfully. “And when you said last night you didn’t want to know more details about the future, I didn’t know if I should tell you anyway.” He pulls back, brushing one hand across her cheek and then the other, wiping away the tears. Gently she does the same for him, and her smile just then is blinding. 

“Let’s make a deal,” he says, and she nods as he continues. “I don’t need to know everything. That’s...it’s not my place to know everything, and it’s not my place to try to tell you how to live with what you know, either,” he says, and he feels her relax a little in his arms. 

She nods. “Yes. That’s okay.”

“But please, please promise me,” he continues. “Promise me you’ll tell me, if you see something else important, or difficult. Something...I don’t know, something unhappy, something it would be better if I knew it was coming. I’ve already had enough of those moments to last a very long time, and if there’s going to be another one I’d like to know. So that I can be ready.”

In his heart he knows even that much is too much to ask. There’s no way any of them can be ready for what’s to come, not entirely. But she seems to understand his request, and it’s with so much compassion that she tells him exactly those same thoughts right back. 

“Neither of us can know for certain what’s going to happen,” Tessa tells him. There’s concern and regret in her expression, but also a kind of composure. She takes his hands in both of hers. “Even I can’t guarantee that every time. Sometimes fate just has its own way of doing things,” she adds. 

Scott nods quickly, thinking that he understands. And if a few events had happened even slightly differently, he wouldn’t be here right now. He wouldn’t be Celia’s father, and he wouldn’t have the career he does now. And he certainly wouldn’t have this beautiful, amazing woman next to him. He reaches forward with his free hand, brushing her hair away from her face, briefly framing her cheek before taking both of her hands in his, too. 

Tessa’s voice is clear when she speaks again. “But I love you, and I will be there for you, and I will do my best to tell you what I know when it matters,” she promises. 

That’s more than enough for him. He kisses her, certainly not for the first time that day and definitely not the last. “I love you too, Tess.” He feels lighter, then like there’s nothing else in their way, now. Only a shared path that they’ll navigate together. 

And then he wonders about one more thing. “What’s it like? Knowing what’s going to happen,” he asks. “Even when it’s something good, does it...does it make it harder? Does it make it any less happy, living through it when it eventually comes true.”

Tessa’s eyes sparkle again, like she’s so pleased to be asked, and even more excited to answer. “Oh, no,” she answers, so decisively that it’s almost enough of an answer on its own. “It’s like…” She pauses, trying to think of how to explain it. And then she has it. “You don’t stop writing the story just because you know how it’s going to end,” she tells him. “And I want to write this story with you.”

“Yes. I do too.” Scott smiles, almost giddy. He understands exactly what she means. “And we’re just at the beginning.”

“Yeah, we are,” Tessa smiles back. She wraps her arms around his shoulders and kisses him again. 

When he lifts her into his arms she laughs out loud, pure happiness radiating from her. Their story  _ is _ just beginning. And he’s not going to waste any more time getting started. 

*


End file.
